Perfectly Incompatible
by MooMooMochi
Summary: Marik always hated himself for falling for Bakura. He was the school's perfect student, and Bakura was the school's top bully. When the two are forced together, Marik thinks it will be a good opportunity to get closer to Bakura. Little does Marik know that Bakura pushes people away for a very good reason. Will they both reveal their secrets and overcome them? Thiefshipping yaoi.
1. Chapter 1: Stuck With You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

Love is one of the strangest phenomenons ever documented. It is a force strong enough to turn even the most pathetic and scared individual into a hero that will sacrifice themselves for another without a second thought. It can start wars and calm them, yet it is so easy to gain and lose. It comes and goes, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. But no matter how well it is documented or researched, it is unexplainable how it can occur. Some say that is destiny that decides, a force that writes the events of time without disruption. Others believe it is merely a chemical reaction in the brain that compels animals to multiply. If there is one thing that all people can agree on, however, it is that love is a wonderful and cherished feeling.

Unless, of course, you are Marik Ishtar. Everyone of his friends had a different saying for love. Yugi thought it was caring for someone, Katsuya believed it was undying loyalty and devotion, Seto said it was when you were willing to put someone above yourself in terms of worth. But no matter how many times they tried to explain the importance of love or how great it was, Marik still resented it. Not because he wanted to be alone, in reality he enjoyed others company and could be quite clingy to those he liked. Nor was it due to the fact that he couldn't catch anyone's eye. Anzu had told Marik a million times about how many girls dreamt about him, and he could easily get around if he wanted. It wasn't even the fact that he was gay, most people accepted it nowadays and a few guys even proclaimed their love to him, although he hadn't officially come out of the closet yet.

It was simply the fact that the one person he was in love with hated him. Not only did they hate Marik, they despised him. They went out of their way to hurt or humiliate him, with no thought for his feelings. The one person who wouldn't hesitate to break his bones or ruin his life if Marik confessed his love. Bakura, the Domino High School bully.

Marik beat himself up over it constantly. There was no need to love someone so horrible. Bakura had done atrocious things, he constantly picked on anyone smaller or weaker than him, especially those coming from horrible situations or homes. You would have thought that Bakura, being from a bad situation himself, would have some empathy to those struggling, but Bakura simply didn't care. In his eyes, it was a dog eat dog world, and he had to be on top. It didn't matter how he got there, or who he had to betray, all he cared about was being seen as the top dog, the head of the school. If Marik didn't know any better, it was as if Bakura wanted to become a god.

As he laid in his bed, Marik chuckled a little at the thought of Bakura becoming a god. Would he turn into a fluffy angel with bright white clothing? It would certainly make sense, considering his soft, snowy hair. Or perhaps he would turn into a monster or dragon, similar to the ones on Marik's Duel Monster cards. Marik daydreaming was interrupted by the small alarm clock on his bedside table, it's systematic beeping filling the silent room with noise. He pressed the button on the top to silence the clock, then sat up in his bed and began stretching. He rubbed his back, feeling the scars that his father had made, before quickly stopping. His scars had always made him feel self conscious, and even touching them too much made Marik shiver.

A soft knock came from Marik's bedroom door, and Ishizu entered his room. "Marik, breakfast is ready," she said calmly, closing the door again. Marik sighed a little, and began getting dressed. As much as Ishizu tried to fill a motherly roll, she often came across as cold and uncaring. Work stressed her out enough as it was, but she also insisted on cooking for them after Marik accidentally destroyed their microwave. With the amount of work she took on, Ishizu was often tired and cranky, and it came across in her voice often. Marik respected how much work she and Rishid did to keep them away from their father, but he still wished that his sister would smile a little more, or hug him like a mother.

After Marik had dressed himself in the Domino High School uniform and double checked that his hair was fabulous as always, he rushed downstairs and grabbed some toast and his school bag. Rishid had left early for work once again and Ishizu was getting ready herself, so Marik took whatever food was left over and began walking to school. "Have a good day," Ishizu said, sighing as she organised her bag for work. "See you," Marik replied, walking out the front door and closing it behind him.

As Marik walked down his front steps and towards the school he began to shiver. The weather was getting quite cold now that they were in December, but Marik was happy about it. Sure, the warm sands of Egypt were nice and he would definitely prefer to be on a tropical beach, but December meant that he would be having his birthday in a few weeks time, and that was always something to look forward to. Marik smiled as he walked to school, and began thinking about what he wanted for his birthday this year.

"Normally Yugi and his friends plan something for me, which is always nice. Maybe this time they'll take me to the movies, or to that new restaurant they were talking about. I wonder who they'll bring along," Marik thought. "Yugi and Yami are sure to come, considering they always plan it. Katsuya might if he can afford it. Seto doesn't like parties and probably has work, so maybe not. Anzu will be, and she'll probably bring some of her friends as well. Honda will go if Katsuya does. Is there anyone else…?"

Bakura's name popped into his head, but Marik quickly shook his head and disregarded the idea. Bakura didn't just hate Marik, but he hated Yugi and his friends as well. Besides, Marik shouldn't even want him there anyway, he's just a jerk who would break his heart. Marik could feel his heart beating a little faster, and he mentally smacked himself on the head for thinking such things. "Bakura's a jerk, I wish I could just forget him," he thought angrily.

* * *

Marik arrived at the school on time, and sat down at his desk to get ready for his classes. Although he was somewhat popular, Marik was quite academic as well. However, his academic habits mixed with Yugi and his friends meant that he was considered a nerd to some students, Bakura in particular. Even though he knew that he would have the last laugh when he had a good job and a secure future, he couldn't help but feel a little bit bad about it. Still, his subjects were quite fun, and so Marik carried on.

Yugi walked over to Marik's desk and waved to him, getting Marik's attention. "Morning," he said cheerfully. "It's been getting so cold in my house, I swear I almost froze to death last night." The two laughed and began chatting as Yugi took his seat next to Marik. Most of his friends were sitting on the opposite side of the room, as Marik sat by the windows, but luckily he had Yugi to sit next to. "I know how you feel, they're saying it might snow for my birthday. I hope we can still go out." Yugi gave him a thumbs up and a wink. "Don't worry Marik, this year is going to be great!"

The two talked for a while more, but stopped when the teacher entered the room. Everyone quickly made their way to their seats and stood up to greet the teacher. "Alright class, be seated. Let's take the roll," she said, pulling out a few sheets of paper and a pen. The teacher called out the students names and began marking who was present and who was absent. Marik sat quietly, waiting for the morning announcements, when he felt something press against his arm. Yugi had nudged a note over to Marik, which Marik took and carefully unfolded.

" _Do you have a preference for anything, or should I plan a surprise?"_

Marik thought for a moment before writing a reply and passing it back. Surprises were always fun, and it was always hard for him to pick what he wanted to do. Plus, it made the day a little more magical.

"Alright students, we have some morning announcements. As you know, Christmas and New Years is only a few weeks away, which means that you won't stop talking about your holidays when you get back. So, before your attention is on your friends, I will be moving the seating for the next year." The room filled with groans and everyone slowly stood up, moving towards the sides and back of the room. The teacher pulled out a small glass jar filled with pieces of paper, and began rummaging her hand inside to pick out a name. Marik held his breathe as the paper slip was drawn, but the classroom door slammed open before the teacher could read out the name.

"Sorry I'm late sir," Bakura said coldly, obviously not happy to be at school. The teacher dropped the paper into the jar, and turned towards the tall albino boy, a sly grin on her face. "Ah, Bakura, you're just in time to receive your new seat. Since you obviously don't care about making it to roll call on time, you can be the first to be seated."

"Whatever," Bakura grumbled, irritated that he was getting called out. The teacher pointed to the window desk at the very back of the classroom. "There's no way I'm sitting by the window, it's way too cold," Bakura argued, but the teacher simply stared back with a forceful look on her face. Knowing that he would get in trouble if he didn't listen, Bakura groaned and sat down. The teacher rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the glass jar of names. "Alright, I'll be starting from left to right from the front of the classroom, so start from the front and work towards the his back. First..."

The teacher began calling out names, and slowly the students made their way behind their respective desks. Anzu had been placed near the middle of the room, next to Ryou and Honda. Katsuya was at the back, near the door, but he didn't have anyone he knew near him. Yami and Yugi were next to each other towards the front, with Seto sitting in front of them. Most of the seats had been filled at this point, making Marik nervous. The closest friend was Katsuya, but he was to the left of the classroom. "I guess I won't be sitting near anyone I know," Marik thought.

"Marik Ishtar, lucky last," said the teacher. Marik awoke from his thoughts and looked towards the empty desk, gasping a little as he did. He had been the last name pulled, meaning that he had to sit right in front of Bakura. Marik quickly took his seat and setup his desk again, getting ready for the lesson. He shook slightly, panicking at the situation. It was bad enough that he wasn't sitting near his friends, but Bakura would most definitely make his school life hell.

For a while, everything seemed fine. The teacher was writing notes and explaining the material, and Marik wrote down the information with no interruption. It was almost like the calm before the storm. Marik kept an ear out for Bakura's movements, half out of fear and half due to his crush. It was just like in his shoujo manga novels and romance books, a situation that forced the two lovers together so they could grow closer. Marik's mind filled with thoughts of what could happen. Perhaps Bakura would ask Marik for help and they could slowly fall in love, or maybe Bakura would drop his pencil and the two would stare into each other's eyes as Marik handed it back. Maybe Bakura would pass him a note with a love confession, or offer to eat lunch together at their desks.

Marik was jolted back into reality as Bakura answered his question of what would happen between them. The albino began swaying his legs back and forth rhythmically, hitting Marik's chair. He let out a squeak of surprise, but quickly regained himself, hoping that Bakura didn't notice. It was only a light tapping, but it was still annoying enough to get into Marik's head and ruin his concentration. He tried writing down more notes and rereading them, but the tapping from Bakura's kicks only made Marik more irritated. "If I ask him to stop, it'll only make matters worse," Marik thought to himself. "On the other hand, if I don't do anything it won't stop. Maybe I should wait it out."

Bakura kept kicking Marik's chair, but the bronzed boy stayed quiet and continued his work as best as he could. After a few more minutes, Bakura stopped swaying his legs and groaned. Although Marik wasn't looking at Bakura, he was certain that Bakura had rested his head on his desk, as evident by a soft thump on Bakura's wooden desk. Marik resumed his work as normal, glad to be rid of Bakura's annoying kicking, but the peace was not kept for long. Marik felt something small hit his head, followed by another and another. "Great, now he's throwing paper at me," Marik thought. "All he wants is a reaction, he just wants to know I'm annoyed. I just need to ignore it."

The small paper balls hitting Marik's head were even more annoying than the chair kicking, and he curled his hands into fists. Each time one hit his head, Marik grew a little more enraged, and was soon furious with Bakura. His notes became scribbled and he eventually stopped, unable to concentrate. Marik's brow furled and he began to turn his head to speak to Bakura, but was stopped by the sound of the school bell. The teacher closed her book, packed up and walked out of the room, followed by students eager to have a break. Bakura's chair squeaked against the floor as he sat up and moved it, and Marik watched as he walked out of the classroom, pushing a few students along the way.

Marik blinked a few times, surprised at how quickly everything had resolved itself, before regaining his composure and collecting his lunch box. The morning's events had stressed him out, and Marik needed to talk to someone about it. Although they seemed like an unusual pair, Marik and Ryou were best friends. Ryou was quiet, but he was also good at listening, and could offer rational advice. Not to mention that he had been linked to Bakura for a time before they broke free, so he had some understanding. Ryou got up from his desk and walked over to Marik, lunch box in hand. He gave a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry you had to get put right next to Bakura," he said, grabbing a chair and placing his lunch on Marik's desk. "Just bad luck I guess, no need to apologise." The two opened their lunches and began eating as the room cleared. Eventually everyone else had gone, and the two were alone together. "Ryou, you know Bakura, you gotta help me," Marik said desperately. Ryou looked up from his food and focused on Marik, ready to listen. "I don't even know why I'm so into him. I mean, all lesson he kept kicking my chair and throwing paper at my head. If I say something, he'll beat me up or make my life hell, but I can't just do nothing. Argh, why'd I have to get stuck next to such a jerk?"

"I understand how you feel, I had to put up with all that too. I think that you've convinced yourself that he's someone else, a 'hard to get' kind of guy, like on television or in books. Maybe it would be good for you to find someone else, get someone else stuck in your head," Ryou replied, trying to offer some advice. Marik thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think it would work. I mean, it's certainly a good idea, but I don't think that it would be fair on them if I was still in love with Bakura. Plus, finding someone might be hard."

"I wouldn't say that Marik. If you like a jerk like Bakura, your standards must be lower than the bottom of the ocean," Ryou replied, causing Marik to laugh. "The most likely scenario is that Bakura will get bored with you, or start skipping classes, and soon enough things will be back to normal."

"You're right," Marik replied cheerfully. "It's not like anyone's forcing me to talk to him."

* * *

"Alright students, I'm going to hand out the last assessment for the term before Christmas break so that you have a little extra time. Keep in mind that this will be a group assessment. Everyone in rows one, three, five and seven, look to the person behind you. They'll be your partner for this task."

Marik's blood turned ice cold and he sat completely frozen. It was as if time stood still for a second. His heartbeat increased and his hands began sweating, but Marik stayed still in his seat, unable to move out of fear. The teacher began handing out sheets and the people around him began talking to one another, but all Marik could hear was the sound of his beating heart. He stared down at his desk and noticed his hands were shaking, but Marik was so stunned that he couldn't move or hide them. He simply sat at his desk, unmoving, in a state of complete panic. The teacher placed a sheet in front of him, but Marik couldn't concentrate on the worlds properly. For a few moments he sat completely still, trying to think of what he should do or what he should say, but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder that made Marik jump. Marik turned his head, and his lavender eyes met sparkling hazel ones.

"Hey, blondie. Just so you don't get the wrong idea, I'm not doing the work. Have fun by yourself," Bakura said, a hint of boredom and irritation in his voice. Marik's tongue was caught in his throat, and he knew that he couldn't reply even if he wanted to. Bakura leaned back in his chair, his arms raised with his hands behind his neck. His hair was messy and spiky as usual, but it also appeared soft and gentle, like wisps of cloud. His hazel eyes were turned towards the window, and although he looked quite angry and annoyed, his eyes still remained calm and mysterious. Most of all, his lips looked pink like cherry blossoms and soft like velvet, perfect for kissing. Marik could only stare at Bakura in awe of his beauty. Ryou insisted that Bakura wasn't that good, that he was just scruffy and messy, but Marik thought differently. It was almost like Bakura tried to hide the fact that he was so gentle and fragile-looking.

Marik's thought were once again interrupted, as the teacher walked over to Bakura's desk, and the albino boy looked up with a scowl. "I know you plan on handing all the work over to Marik, so I have an offer for you Bakura. When class is over, meet me in my office, both of you."

Bakura rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the window, trying to ignore the teacher's presence. "Whatever," he mumbled. Marik's anxiety calmed a little, and he quickly turned back around towards the front. He began reading through the assessment task, but with each sentence he grew less and less enthusiastic. The task he had been set was to create a speech and powerpoint presentation on a genre of movies or novels, and deliver it to the class. Marik didn't mind getting up in front of the class and speaking, he was known for being quite chatty and friendly, but it was going to be awkward having to talk with Bakura and figure out what genre to do. Plus it meant using a few examples, and Marik doubted that Bakura was into sappy love stories or steamy, gay manga novels.

The class had been given time to choose their genres and start working, so Marik began brainstorming a number of topics to chose from. He enjoyed reading but didn't watch many movies, especially considering that they were expensive. "It would be good to write down some of my favorite books, that way I'll be able to give a better explanation of the genre," Marik thought, happily writing away. The bronze boy continued working until the bell rang, almost lost in his work. When the teacher left and everyone began packing up, Marik put his work away and stood up to see the teacher about the offer. He carefully turned around to see if Bakura would be walking with him, but the albino had vanished, as if by magic.

"Guess I'll be working on my own," Marik whispered to himself, sighing as he walked out of the room. He opened the backdoor of the classroom and stepped out, only to see Bakura getting dragged towards the office by some teachers. Bakura started swearing and kicking, but the teachers simply tightened their grip on him and dragged him faster. "Or maybe not," Marik corrected himself in his mind.

* * *

"Now listen here Bakura, I've been taking a look at your grades recently, and so far they're the lowest they've ever been," said their teacher, who was sitting down and rubbing her temples. "You're barely passing your classes, at this rate you're going to be expelled or have to repeat." Bakura crossed his legs while sitting down on the plastic chair he had been given, avoiding eye contact with both the teacher and Marik. "Who cares if I don't pass? It's not like it affects you," he snapped back, his words dripping with irritation and disgust. The tension in the room was incredible, and Marik simply played with his hands and kept his head down while seated next to Bakura. Although the timing and setting was horrible, Marik couldn't help but be nervous sitting next to Bakura. He had crossed his leg over towards Marik, who was observing his shoes and trying to keep himself distracted.

"Listen Bakura, maybe you don't think that it's a big deal, but if you don't start improving your work then I'll have to start making calls home. Do you really want to explain this to your mother?" Bakura's eyes widened a little, but the look was quickly replaced by an angry scowl at her. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" he asked. The teacher shot him a smirk. "No, but I am warning you about the repercussions of your actions if you don't improve. It's school policy, and I don't want to make that call just as much as you Bakura." The albino teenager continued to scowl, but turned his head away again. "You know the difference between right and wrong and you understand the consequences, it makes me sad to see so much potential wasted. You don't do sports or clubs, you don't hang around anyone. Don't you think that maybe you should at least give this a try?"

"I'm fine with things being the way they are," Bakura replied coldly. Their teacher sighed and took a sip of coffee, before looking back at Bakura. "Alright then, I guess I don't have a choice. From now on until the holidays you'll be taken out of class to do your assessment together. Every Wednesday and Friday you'll be taken out of PE classes and I'll be monitoring your work. I also expect you to do some of the work together when I'm not forcing you. I can tell your work apart, so don't just dump all of this on Marik. If you can't put the effort in and make a passing mark with Marik's help, then we'll have to discuss this matter further with your parents."

Bakura scoffed and mumbled something inaudible, but the teacher simply turned towards Marik. "As for you Marik," she stated, getting Marik's attention. "I know you would much prefer another partner, and I'm incredibly sorry to put this on you, but you're quite the academic student and Bakura would benefit greatly from your help. I won't force you to do it, but I would appreciate it deeply. Would that be okay with you?"

In that instant a vision filled Marik's mind. Marik and Bakura, sitting side by side in a classroom together. Bakura would be nervous of course, but he would rely on Marik and require his help, like a poor helpless kitten. Not only would Marik be helping Bakura's grades, but he would be able to grow closer to Bakura. And when it was finished, Bakura would grab Marik's sleeve, his face a shade of deep red, and ask him if he would still hang out with him. Or perhaps Bakura would meet up with Marik and the two would be alone, allowing Bakura to reveal his true feelings for Marik. Or maybe even the other way around!

Marik knew that this opportunity was once in a lifetime. Even if Bakura hated Marik and didn't want to participate, Bakura may at least grow to understand him better and respect Marik. Plus the teacher would be there to make sure Marik was okay. If it didn't work out in the end, at least Bakura would know that Marik didn't force him into it, and hopefully he wouldn't make his life hell. Marik looked up at the teacher, a nervous look on his face despite his courageous feelings, and gently nodded. The teacher's face lit up with a smile. "Well then, it's settled. When you have PE tomorrow, go to the homeroom instead. I'll be keeping a watchful eye on you Bakura, so don't even think about running off. Now off to lunch you two!"

Bakura grunted and stood up, almost knocking over the fragile plastic chair. He walked over to the door and left, slamming it behind him without a single word. The loud bang from the door made Marik jump slightly, and he began to reconsider his decision. The teacher gave Marik an apologetic look, then turned towards her desk and began doing some work. Marik stood up and left the room, making sure that he didn't slam the door. "At least I can talk to Ryou about this," Marik thought hopefully. "He'll know what to do."


	2. Chapter 2: Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

"You're joking right? I can't believe you didn't back out!" Ryou whispered, trying not to attract attention. After Marik had been sent to the teacher's office to discuss the situation with Bakura, he knew that he had to talk to Ryou about it, and the two sat under the stairs to talk. Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, Ryou thought otherwise, and wasn't afraid to let Marik know it. "Of all the people you had to fall for Marik, you had to pick the biggest bully in the school."

Marik sighed and shook his head, a disgruntled look on his face. "I know, I know. It's not like I'm actively trying to fall in love with him you know? I just thought that if I gave it a go, maybe he'd come around, you know? Like, if he got to know the real me, maybe he would get closer to me, or at least not torment me." Ryou put his hands in his head and groaned. "You really don't know Bakura, do you? What about all the rumors? I don't want you getting hurt." It was true that rumors were floating around about Bakura joining a gang, some people believed that it was only a few of his friends and him messing around, others believed that he was getting into some pretty illegal business. Although Bakura was certainly a jerk, Marik didn't think that he was bad enough to join a gang like that. After all, the only evidence that people had was that they had seen Bakura walking off into the shadier parts of town, but that wasn't enough to make a conclusion. Marik knew that Ryou was just worried for him, but Marik was sure that it would be fine. "Really, I'm sure I'll be okay. I'll be helping him with his work, I don't think that he's going to beat me up over that."

Ryou gave a sheepish smile, then nodded. "Well that does make sense I guess," he replied, lying against the wall as he held his knees to his chest. "But if anything happens, you let me know alright? Don't hide it if he's treating you like crap." Ryou was always looking out for Marik, ever since they were little. They had grown up together as kids, and trusted each other more than anyone else. Ryou had always been very shy and timid, so it was hard for him to make friends, but Marik had always made sure to hang out with him and talk so that he didn't have to. In return, Ryou was always helping Marik with work or providing advice, as well as being a good listener if he ever needed to rant. They were like sweet and savory, complete opposites in terms of personality, but they still managed to work together well. Ryou had joked about it once, calling them 'salted caramel'. Marik felt so comfortable and happy around Ryou, as if they were made to be best friends, and he felt like he could trust him with any secret. Well...almost any secret.

"On an unrelated note, the holidays are coming up, so I guess we should organise some plans to see each other," Ryou said, staring off into space. "My parents are happy to have you over again for Christmas and such, we could even have a slumber party." Marik's ears perked up, and a grin appeared on his face. Slumber parties with Ryou were the best, they could spend hours up together, eating pizza and watching movies, and the two would never tire of each other. "Hey, that could be my birthday present!" Marik said excitedly, and Ryou looked over, a little surprised by Marik's reaction. "What do you mean Marik?"

"I mean that we could go out and have my birthday, and then we could have a sleepover at your house!" he squealed. Ryou thought for a second, then gave a content smile. "Yeah, that's a really good idea!" he exclaimed. "Not to mention, your parents probably want to spend Christmas with you, that way I wouldn't be intruding on your holidays." Ryou shook his head and chuckled. "Marik, how many times do I have to tell you, you're already basically family."

"It's fine. Plus, Ishizu will most likely want me home for Christmas, it's the perfect compromise!" Marik said happily. Ryou nodded in response and looked back out into space. "Sounds like a good plan to me. It'll be like two days of present opening!"

* * *

The two boys laughed and continued discussing their plans for the holidays, excited for their planned sleepover. Eventually the bell rang and the two returned to their classroom for the final lessons, and Marik resumed his daydreaming and internal discussion of Bakura. Marik had made it to class before Bakura, as per usual, but even though the albino had not yet arrived Marik's mind was filled with daydreams. Ryou had tried to convince him to move on, give up, find someone better. But no matter how hard Marik tried, his thoughts always returned to Bakura like a loyal dog.

Marik thought about how Bakura spent his holidays, although his thoughts were probably far from accurate. Perhaps Bakura spent his holidays curled up by a warm fire, he certainly seemed like the type to enjoy sitting near flames. Or maybe Bakura would be drinking hot chocolate in a warm sweater, with the warm chocolate drink matching the soft colour of his eyes. In Marik's mind, Bakura seemed so gentle and caring, as if his typical appearance and behaviour were just a mask to hide his true self. Even if Bakura was a bully and a jerk, surely he couldn't all be bad?

The rest of the class time rushed by as Marik thought about Bakura and the upcoming task. Tomorrow would be their first day working together, and so Marik had to plan everything out. While the teacher was discussing and writing on the board, Marik flipped over to a blank page and began writing down a checklist and discussion topics for the task. They would need to pick a genre together, but Marik was unsure about Bakura's taste in movies and books, so instead he wrote down a list that he could suggest. They would also need to pick some examples for their presentation, so Marik wrote down a couple of well-known and popular ideas. Marik continued writing down his plan, hoping that it would provide some help when the two were forced together in class, but his thoughts were interrupted when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. The teacher was still at the front of the class and the desks were spaced quite far apart, which could only mean…

"Hey," Bakura whispered loudly, causing Marik to jump slightly. He carefully turned around, staring into Bakura's chocolate eyes for the second time in one day. Bakura had a bored expression on his face, but still looked a little serious. He handed Marik a note, then turned his head away, holding his cheek in his hand. Marik took the paper in his hands and turned back around, curious and nervous as to the contents. His heart began racing and he could feel his face turning red, hoping that no one else was watching him. Marik carefully unfolded the note and began reading, taking note of Bakura's scribbly handwriting.

" _After class, stay behind so we can talk."_

The message was short and straightforward, but Marik had never been so anxious in his life. Although Bakura was the school's bully, he had mostly stayed away from Marik, most likely because they had separate interests and hung out in different parts of the school. Because of this, the two had never really spoken to each other before, let alone had a moment alone together. And yet, despite their differences, Bakura had asked to talk to Marik. Although he was incredibly scared, Marik had to hold back a squeal of delight. Not only were they going to get a moment together, but Bakura had been the one to initiate it. Marik had to pinch himself on the arm, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Bakura's note had filled Marik with determination and excitement, and he worked extra hard to finish the classwork so that time would go by faster. He stuck his head into his book and began reading and taking notes, with the occasional exciting thought. He wondered what Bakura was going to say or ask, and whether it would be good or bad. It was likely that Bakura was simply to going to humiliate Marik and make him his new punching bag, but there was also a chance that Bakura was actually willing to cooperate on the assignment and wanted to ask Marik when they should work together in the holidays. He stared nervously at the clock, counting down every second until he would be able to talk to Bakura. Even though Marik knew that he was reaching pretty far with his daydreaming, and that Bakura was most likely just going to harass him, he couldn't help but hold onto that small amount of hope that Bakura could be, nay, was someone different. His mind was screaming at him, shouting "How can you be so ridiculous, why did you fall for him?", but he knew that in his heart he had to at least give it a try. He just couldn't help but be so submissive.

While Marik was having an internal battle with his thoughts, the other students began packing up and standing. It was only when the school bell had actually rung that Marik snapped out of his romanticised thoughts and grasped the situation that he was in. As if he were in a daze, Marik could only sit and watch as the students around him packed up and ran out of the classroom, excited to get home or go shopping. One by one he watched as his friends and classmates piled out of the room, until Marik was alone and surrounded by silence. Well, almost alone.

Marik's ears perked up to the sound of a chair squeaking back, and Bakura made his way to the front of Marik's desk. He stood in front of Marik, eyes turned towards the door, waiting for the last few voices of their fellow students to fade away. Marik stared up at the albino, taking in his details. His delicate hands, his soft hair. It was almost hard to believe that the boy in front of him was rumored to be involved with gangs, considering his delicacy. Once Bakura was confident that everyone had left, he turned towards Marik, brown eyes piercing into Marik's lavender ones, and leaned forward. Marik stayed frozen, unsure of what to say or do, as he was overcome with a mixture of fear and nervousness. He was almost certain that Bakura was leaning in to kiss him, until the albino stopped mere inches away from Marik's face, forcing him to make eye contact.

"Why did you agree to being my partner for the project?" he asked casually, although it seemed as if his words were secretly cold as ice. Marik blinked a few times, trying to process Bakura's question and reply. Marik desperately tried to think as he felt his face warming up slightly, and he managed to force a reply out. "I j-just wanted to h-help," he squeaked, causing Bakura to furrow his brow. He leaned back again, his chin pointed up as if he were royalty looking down upon a peasant. "Oh really? You agreed to be my partner for the assignment out of the goodness of your own heart, with no reward in return? Why would I need your help, do you think I'm some basket case or something?"

Marik couldn't reply to Bakura, even if he wanted to. It was as if his brain had shut down, not just out of his nervousness from being around his crush, but also out of cold fear of Bakura. Even if he saw him as gentle, even if he imagined him to be soft and cuddly, the harsh reality was that Bakura was very confrontational and intimidating. Marik could only sit in his school chair, shaking slightly, as he listened to Bakura.

"I don't know why you chose to agree to this, and quite frankly I don't care, but you did and now I have to explain it to you. I don't want your help, I don't need your help, and I don't want you or anyone else to try and get closer to me. Got it?"

Marik's mind was frozen, as if it had curled up into a ball and refused to move. He felt a mix of emotions all at once as he tried to think of a way to resolve the situation, but as much as he wanted to he just couldn't do anything. He sat there, trying to process everything and force himself to move or say something, when a glimmer of hope came from his heart. "I have to at least try," he thought quietly, staring into Bakura's eyes. With his newfound hope, Marik mustered up all of his courage, repeating his motivational thought in his head, and finally managed to say something in return.

"Why don't you want anyone to get close?" he asked, no stutter in his voice. He knew it was pointless, he knew it was stupid, but Marik refused to give up without trying. Even if his question meant that Bakura would beat him up or get revenge, it left him without regret. Marik waited for a slap or a punch, or even a snarky comment, but nothing happened. Instead, Bakura looked taken aback. Bakura stared at Marik, a slightly puzzled look on his face, and his eyes quickly turned a dark shade of brown. He leaned forward slightly, as if we were entranced by Marik, but he shook his head and looked away, his eye colour returning to normal. "If you haven't backed out by PE tomorrow, I'll see to it that you regret it," he snapped, turning around and walking out of the classroom. Marik simply sat there, trying to comprehend what had happened. He grabbed his hair in frustration, groaning at himself for asking such a question. Of course there was no way that Bakura would be okay with doing the project with him, and any chance of the two getting along even slightly had gone out the window. Marik pulled his legs up onto the chair and wrapped his arms around his knees, sighing in frustration. He knew it was silly to be upset, considering that he knew what kind of person Bakura was, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed that his chance to get to know Bakura had vanished.

"This is exactly why I should move on," he whispered to himself quietly. "I knew this was going to happen. I'm so stupid for thinking he would be different just for me." He relived the scenario over in his head, again and again, watching it play out. Seeing Bakura's puzzled face, watching his eyes shift colour. Out of all the things that confused Marik about the situation that had just taken place, there was one thing that he knew for certain. He couldn't help but notice the faintest blush on Bakura's cheeks as he stormed out of the classroom, and that confused Marik more than anything that Bakura had said or done.


	3. Chapter 3: Chocolate Ice Cream

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

As soon as Marik had arrived home and entered his room, he began balling his eyes out and calling Ryou. Rishid and Ishizu were still at work, so he at least got to cry without being interrupted or having to keep quiet, but that didn't make Marik feel any better. Tears fell from his eyes as he shakily pressed the buttons on his phone and began ringing Ryou, desperately clutching the piece of metal and plastic to the side of his face. His mind and reasoning was telling him "I told you so", but even if Marik had known that Bakura would most likely react this way, it didn't stop him from feeling hurt by Bakura's reaction to his help. The phone rang for a few seconds before Ryou picked up and answered.

"Hi Marik, what's up?" he asked, excited to get a phone call from his friend. Marik had attempted to answer Ryou's question by explaining the situation, but his voice had been replaced with sad moaning and incomprehensible noises, mixed in with tears and a sniffling nose. Marik bawled his eyes out, crying out in pain as he relived the memory again in his head. "Do you need me to come over?" Ryou asked gently, trying to show Marik some sympathy. Marik nodded and gave a sad 'uh huh' noise as he fell down onto his bed, unable to stand any longer in his current state. Ryou chuckled and sighed a little. "What am I going to do with you Marik? I'll be over in a few minutes with some ice cream," he said, a happy tone in his voice as he tried to cheer Marik up. Marik gave him a sound of acknowledgement and Ryou hung up, leaving the tanned boy to cry alone on his bed for a few minutes.

Marik thrashed around, hitting his pillow gently and then squeezing it as tight as he could. His breathing became heavier and large tears ran down his cheeks, but there was nothing he could do to stop the pain. It didn't matter if his reaction was illogical and silly, Marik couldn't cease his crying. Although Bakura had always been horrible, he had never really confronted Marik before, and he felt like all his hopes and dreams had been shot down. Marik hadn't felt so rejected since his father had left them. Thoughts of his father leaving him, abusing him and abandoning him filled his head, and Marik instinctively curled up into a ball and began hyperventilating. He tried counting his head and thinking happy thoughts, but Marik kept shivering and breathing heavily, unable to do anything.

After a few minutes his head became dizzy, and Marik laid onto his back, his head moving from side to side as he tried to concentrate. The room became wavy and his vision blurred slightly, but though all of the confusion he managed to hear a knock at the door. "I'm coming in Marik," Ryou said as he walked through the front door. In Marik's emotional whirlwind he had forgotten to lock the front door, but was happy for his mistake. There was no way he would be able to get up and answer the door in his state. Ryou's gentle footsteps made their way towards Marik's room, and he eventually arrived by Marik's bedside. The blonde boy looked up at Ryou, who had sat down on the side of Marik's bed and was gently brushing his hair with his fingertips. "I'm here now Marik, it's okay," he whispered softly, like a caring mother. Marik's body filled with relief and calm, and he closed his eyes and cried softly as Ryou's fingers ran through his hair, making his head tingle. "That's it," Ryou cooed. "Just focus on breathing." Although Ishizu did her best to be a mother figure for Marik, he couldn't help but feel so much more relaxed with Ryou. He had a voice that was softer than marshmallows, fluffy white hair like an angel and a caring personality. Marik would be lying if he said he hadn't projected some of his feelings for Bakura onto Ryou. The two were so similar, but Ryou was actually nice to him.

Marik's breathing returned to normal and he sat up next to Ryou, sniffling softly. "Thank you Ryou," he said weakly, and Ryou gave him a comforting smile. "I made sure to get chocolate ice cream for you, why don't we put a movie on in the background and you can tell me all about it?" Marik nodded and the two began walking towards the living room. "I'm so lucky to have a good friend like Ryou," Marik thought happily as he wiped some tears away.

* * *

"Oh Marik, if I hadn't left with Yugi and the others I could've helped you," Ryou said regretfully. Marik had filled Ryou in on all the details, and now Ryou had begun to tear up himself. "I can't believe he would threaten you like that, after you were so nice for offering to help. He should be thanking you!" Marik chuckled softly as he ate a big scoop of the delicious chocolate ice cream, not caring about whether he got brain freeze or not. "In hindsight I probably should have expected something like this," Marik replied, but Ryou was quick to reply. Ryou was very protective of his friends, despite being very weak, and always tried to give good advice.

"He's not a toddler Marik, he's a proper teenager. Just because his behaviour is 'typical' doesn't mean it's okay, if anything it just makes the whole thing worse. You really should report this to the teacher," he said, trying to eat his bowl of ice cream while angry on Marik's behalf. Seeing Ryou so riled up made Marik chuckle, and it really helped him feel comforted and safe. "I don't know, it was strange when we talked to the teacher. He refused to work with me, but when the teacher told him she would contact his mum he totally changed his mind," Marik said thoughtfully. "That is strange," Ryou replied. "Do you think it's because he doesn't want to repeat?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really think Bakura's one to care about his grades or education, I guess he just doesn't want his parents to know," Marik answered. It was quite strange that Bakura changed his tune when his mother was brought up, but Marik didn't know enough about his situation, so he couldn't say anything for sure. "Maybe it would do Bakura some good to get his butt whipped by his mum," Ryou joked, and the two of them laughed. It was the perfect situation for Marik, eating chocolate ice cream, gossiping with Ryou and half-watching a movie.

"So what are you going to do now Marik," Ryou asked. The question had been in both boy's minds for a while, but they had both been putting off asking until Marik was feeling better. Marik put his bowl of ice cream down and stretched his arms, sighing as he did so. "I've got no idea. If I don't do anything about this, Bakura's probably going to do something to me, and I don't really want to risk that. I guess I have no choice but to talk to the teacher about doing it on my own or swapping partners. I guess I'll talk to her during the break before PE." Ryou gave Marik a sympathetic look and put his hand on his shoulder. "I know you were really hoping to do this with Bakura, but I think it's for the best that you talk to the teacher. Not to mention you'll probably have a lot more fun if you don't have to compromise with Bakura's taste in entertainment."

"Thanks Ryou," Marik said happily as he gave Ryou a smile. He wiped the last of his tears away from his eyes and jumped up from the couch dramatically. "Now then, how about we order some pizza!"

* * *

Marik had felt a lot better after hanging out with Ryou, and was still reminiscing about it the day after in class. The two of them always had heaps of fun when they were together, it almost made Marik forget that he was even sitting in front of Bakura. With Ryou's words and advice in mind, Marik tried to motivate himself in class, knowing that he would have to approach the teacher soon. He had spent all of the lesson thinking about his night with Ryou, almost forgetting to take notes. He scribbled down some words from the board and half-listened to the teacher, but didn't make too much effort. Marik had too much on his mind right now to focus on his studies, and he could always get the rest from the textbook after school.

Bakura had arrived after Marik, and the blonde was a little surprised to see that he actually showed up. Of course, Bakura was probably expecting Marik to have resigned to the teacher, so there would be no point in missing school if he didn't have to do their group assignment. Still, Marik thought that he might have missed today just in case.

The bell rang for break time and the class quickly packed up. The teacher began packing up her class materials and wiping the board down, so Marik knew that he had to act quickly. He looked over to Ryou, who was giving him a thumbs up and a reassuring smile, then stood up and began following the teacher. She was halfway out of the door, but Marik had managed to get her attention, and she turned around to face him. "Something I can help you with Marik?" she asked in her usual bubbly voice. Marik felt a pang of anxiety and nervousness, but continued on despite his fears. "Yes, I needed to talk to you about something," he replied, trying to be brave. "Walk and talk with me," she said casually as she began walking down the hall and towards her office, causing Marik to follow her. "I was just wondering-" Marik's words were cut off by the teacher, who had gone on another one of her casual rants. "Honestly Marik, I was pretty relieved yesterday when you agreed to work with Bakura for the task."

Marik paused for a second, a little confused by her statement. "What do you mean?" Marik asked as the teacher turned to look at him. "No teacher likes failing a student or forcing them to repeat, and Bakura's mum isn't exactly someone you want to piss off-" The teacher held a hand up to her mouth, then began laughing and winked at Marik. "Don't tell the principal I said that," she said cheekily as she stuck her tongue out of her mouth. "I thought I was going to have to make the call and, well, you really saved my behind there. I don't know who was more scared, me or Bakura! Well, even if Bakura doesn't try to improve his grades, it can't hurt to try and motivate him with your educational skills. He could really use a good friend like you."

The teacher's comments took Marik by surprise, and his thoughts began jumbling up. The teacher was so happy that he had agreed to help, there was no way he could take it back now. "So, what did you need hon?" she asked happily, making Marik jump. He stared blankly for a second, trying to think of something to say. "Are you alright?" she asked, her smile turning into a concerned look, but Marik quickly stood to attention and gave her a serious look. "It's alright, I'll ask another time," he said quickly, turning on his heel when he finished speaking. Marik quickly jogged back to the classroom, leaving the teacher confused. "Man, that kid is strange."

Marik opened the door to the classroom and scanned the area for Ryou, but the small albino boy was nowhere in sight, along with Yugi and his friends. Seto was sitting at his desk with a book, but there was no way Marik could ask him for help. He looked up and down the hallway, thinking that Ryou may be close by, but there was no trace of Ryou left. Marik's breathing began to get faster as he panicked, fearing what Bakura might do to him. Ryou had mentioned that Bakura was rumored to be in a gang, it was totally possible that Marik could get beaten up...or worse.

He sat down at his seat and opened up a school book, pretending to be doing something. He still had a few minutes left before he had to do the assignment with Bakura, so there was still hope that Ryou would return so he could talk to him. Maybe there was still a chance that Ryou could ask on his behalf, or maybe Ryou could calm him down. Marik twiddled his thumbs as he alternated between staring at the clock and nervously checking the door for any sign of Ryou. A minute passed, then two, and with each additional minute Marik's anxiety grew. He looked towards Ryou's desk, which was missing his school bag, and a sense of dread quickly filled Marik's body. Ryou had probably headed off to PE already to get changed, as he was a little self conscious, and so Marik was left with no way out. The bell began to ring and Marik jumped in his seat as he watched his classmates file out. Bakura, who had been sitting behind him with a book, had stood up and begun making his way out of the door. He disappeared from sight, but quickly returned with the teacher dragging him by the scruff of his shirt. "Honestly Bakura, you never learn do you!" she said, sighing in annoyance.

The teacher closed the doors and locked them, then pushed two desks together at the back of the room. "Alright, here's how this is going to go down. You two are going to do some work on this assignment while the other kids do PE, and I'll unlock the door when class is over. I expect you two to work together and get some work done, and I'll be checking to make sure you aren't just chatting around. Now if you'll excuse me I have some romantic novels to read." The teacher turned and sat down at her desk, placing ear buds into her ears. The music was loud enough for Marik to hear from the back of the room, and she flipped through the pages of a steamy adult romance novel. Marik couldn't help but shake his head at how inappropriate this was during school hours.

Bakura pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing his face with his hands in annoyance, and Marik quickly sat down as well. His heartbeat increase tenfold and he stared down at the desk, hoping that nothing bad would happen. "Hey," Bakura snapped, and Marik's eyes shot up to meet Bakura's. Bakura stared Marik down, anger in his eyes, just like a wolf staring at it's prey before striking. "I told you to talk to her and quit, what the hell do you think you're doing? Do you honestly think I need your help to do this?" he growled at Marik, making the sandy blonde boy look down at his feet in fear. He twiddled his thumbs, trying to calm his nerves, but he couldn't help but stutter when trying to respond. "N-No, I j-just didn't want her t-to make a p-phone call to your m-mum," Marik replied shakily. He heard Bakura sigh in frustration and scratch his head, and carefully raised his head up to see.

"I'm not some weakling you know, I can take care of myself. I guess I don't have much choice now," he said grabbing his school book and slapping it down on the desk. "Alright, what are we meant to be doing?" he asked, making Marik a little more hopeful. He was worried that Bakura was going to beat him up, although it might just be because the teacher was in the room that he didn't. Nonetheless, Marik was happy to try and start the assignment, and got out his notebook and the ideas sheet he had prepared earlier. "W-Well, we have to make a speech and a presentation about a specific genre for either books or movies, including some examples. I wrote down some genres you might like to do, but we can choose a different one if you like."

Bakura took the sheet of paper from Marik, snatching it out of his hands, and began reading the list of genres. He had begun reading with a bored expression on his face, but by the end of the list he had an expression of frustration instead. "All of these are boring. No one cares about books where you learn about yourself or romance novels that distract you from the fact that you're so alone." Bakura's words made Marik wince a little, as he had a particular love for the romance genre, but he tried his best to stay resilient. "U-Um, would you prefer to name some genres?" Marik asked weakly, catching Bakura's attention. He leaned towards Marik with a smirk on his face, as if he were glad that Marik asked.

"Good genres are ones that keep you on the edge of your seat. They don't have to be mysterious or suspenseful, they just have to be exciting and over the top! Stuff like horror and crime, especially if they're gory. The more blood and guts and action, the better I say." Marik's face paled a little at Bakura's reply. He was much too weak to watch anything like that, especially considering that he was sensitive to meat and gore. There was a reason he was a vegetarian. "M-Maybe we can do a mystery movie instead? They usually have action in them, and they don't have to be gory." Bakura leaned back in his chair for a second, thinking to himself. "Well, I shouldn't have expected you to have a pair, so I guess we should just pick one mystery movie each and work separately." Marik laughed nervously, despite the fact that Bakura had obviously insulted him. "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but I think we should work together on the example texts considering they make up a large part of the assignment," Marik said quietly, hoping that Bakura wouldn't get angry. He was still upset from yesterday and was no longer doing the work to get closer to Bakura, but knew that if he didn't help him that their grade wouldn't be very good.

"If you haven't noticed yet, we're stuck in this classroom with no way of watching a movie together. How else are we going to watch the movies together?" Bakura growled. Marik twiddled his thumbs faster and began his breathing exercises, praying that the teacher would take her earbuds out. "W-Well, the teacher did say we have to spend time outside of class on this," Marik replied. "We could technically just watch a movie together and call it working." Bakura opened his mouth to object, but paused and put his finger on his chin. He looked away for a second and tapped his fingers on the desk with his other hand, then shot Marik a sneaky look. "So, if I spend time with you outside of school, you'll watch whatever movie I choose?" he asked slyly. Bakura's smirk made Marik's heart flutter, and he looked away to avoid blushing. "I s-suppose."

Bakura grinned victoriously and put his arms behind his head. "Alright then! I'm picking Zombie Blood 7 director's cut. They say it has twice as much gore and horror in it, so it's bound to be good. What about you pipsqueak?" he said, smirking happily. He had backed Marik into a corner with no way out, and Marik knew that he had to accept or else the work wouldn't get done. There was no way he could really watch a zombie horror movie, but if he kept his head down and tried not to look, perhaps he could get through it and just look up the synopsis later.

"Actually, I think I'd like to do a book, considering there are lots of good mystery novels I know," he answered, ignoring Bakura's insult. Bakura chuckled a little and then stared at Marik, a look of superiority in his eyes. "Man, you really are a nerd aren't you? Who reads books anymore?" Marik's blood boiled slightly at his comment. It was hard enough trying to ignore Bakura's insults and crappy work ethic, but now he was making personal attacks on something he enjoyed. "What about the book you were reading earlier?" Marik snapped back, surprised at the ferocity in his voice. Bakura's smirk dropped from his face and he shot Marik a glare as he pulled the book out of his bag. "For your information, Advanced Gambling Techniques is a strategy guide, not a book. Keep your comments to yourself next time blondie."

Marik gave himself a mental slap and looked away, his cheeks burning slightly with anger. "Well, I guess I'll pick The Murder On Hummingbird Island then, it shouldn't be hard to get you a copy from the library." Bakura gave Marik another look. "You're seriously going to make me read that boring stuff?" he asked, but Marik was in a sour mood now and didn't care about his anxiety or nervousness. He simply wanted Bakura to stop being such a child, and didn't care if he had to snap back to make that happen now. "The book isn't very long, it should only take a few hours to complete. Besides, you're making me watch that horror movie." Bakura grinned at Marik and leaned forward, bringing Marik down a notch and making his cheeks redden ever so slightly. He hated that Bakura could make him so nervous just by leaning forward. Marik turned his head, but Bakura kept staring with a smirk. "Aww, I didn't realise you were such a baby Marik! Are you afraid of the zombies, huh?" Marik tried to shoot back a glare, but ended up just staring into Bakura's eyes. His hazel eyes looked into Marik's lilac ones, giving off a mysterious look.

Suddenly, the colour in Bakura's eyes shifted, just like they had yesterday. The hazel colour swirled into a dark chocolate, and Bakura leaned in a little further while maintaining eye contact. Marik leaned back in his chair and tried to turn away, but Bakura's eyes had captivated him. "Just think, you'll be all curled up, shivering..." Bakura whispered, leaning in closer again. "So helpless..." Marik could feel Bakura's warm breath on his face, and couldn't help but begin to blush. If Marik didn't know any better, he would say that Bakura was trying to come onto him. An expression of shock quickly appeared on Bakura's face and he quickly moved back, his eye colour returning to normal again. He stared at Marik in surprise for a second, then quickly picked up Marik's organisation sheet and hid his face in it. Marik looked away as well, trying to make his blush go away. The tension in the room had become so thick, you could almost cut it with a knife.

"Well, if you're going to read a book and I'm going to watch a movie, I guess we should pick a time," Bakura said, trying to fill the sudden silence in the room. "When are you busy?" Marik began playing with his hands again, trying to stay calm after how Bakura had suddenly acted. "I can't do anything on Christmas, and the day before that is my birthday, so I'll be spending it with Ryou." Bakura pulled the paper down just enough to make eye contact with Marik, his eyes squinting a little. "That's a bit of a surprise," he said with an annoyed tone. "What's that supposed to mean?" Marik asked, confused at Bakura's comment. "I'm just saying that it's a little surprising that you're so close to Ryou, I guess you don't know him very well then."

Marik felt confused, then shocked, then angry. "Ryou wouldn't hide anything from me," Marik said in Ryou's defense. "You're the one who doesn't know him." Bakura shot Marik another glare, but then began to laugh. "Huh, I guess he really didn't tell you. I'll let him tell you himself, I wouldn't want to spoil the fun." Bakura smirked at Marik once again, but the bell rang before Marik could open his mouth to reply. The teacher took out her earbuds and put down her book, then walked over to Marik and Bakura.

"Alright kiddos, let's see your work!" she said enthusiastically. Bakura held up Marik's idea sheet, which now had their chosen genre and texts written on it. The teacher grabbed the sheet and read it for a bit, then put a hand on her hip and sighed. "Geez, you kids are lazy these days! Make sure you do more work next time, unless you want to spend extra time together outside of class." The teacher gave Bakura a passive aggressive smile, but Bakura simply leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "Shouldn't you have been marking homework miss?" he asked slyly, taking the teacher aback. "Hey, you don't have to be so mean Bakura! What kind of a teacher do you take me for?"

"A lazy one who gets off to adult novels?" Bakura replied frankly. The teacher blushed slightly and sighed in frustration, rubbing her temples. "Just get to your next class you two," she said, somewhat defeated. She walked over to the doors and unlocked them, and Bakura quickly slithered out of the room. Marik remained at his desk for a moment, taking in the situation, before placing the desks back in their original spots and gathering his work. He felt a mixture of emotions, ranging from confusion to anger, at both Bakura's actions and comments. Marik thought that the worst to happen to him would be to get beaten up, but now he was just confused and left in the dark.

"What did he mean about Ryou?" Marik thought to himself as he made his way to his next class slowly, holding his bag over his shoulder and placing his hand in his pocket. "First his eyes changed colour, now he's saying Ryou's hiding secrets from me. What's going on…?"


	4. Chapter 4: Questions Left Unanswered

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

Marik didn't talk to Bakura or Ryou for the rest of the school day, too confused about everything that Bakura had done and said during their time together. Not only did it seem like Bakura was under a spell or something with his eyes changing colour, but now Ryou was apparently hiding secrets from him. Although it was bothering Marik greatly, he knew that it wouldn't help to think about it, and simply did his best to disregard what had happened between him and Bakura. "He's probably just trying to embarrass me or break up my friendship with Ryou, I can't let it get to me," Marik thought while sitting in class.

Despite trying to keep it out of mind, Marik still wanted to talk to Ryou about it, and decided to walk home with him after school. They could always grab something to eat on the way, and it meant that Bakura might not try to jump him after school. It seemed silly to think Bakura would send a gang after Marik, but he couldn't be too sure. When the bell rang, Marik packed up his schoolwork and quickly made his way to Ryou's desk. Ryou was waving goodbye to Yugi and Anzu, and a big grin broke out on his face when Marik walked over to him. "That was the longest lesson I've ever had, I swear," Ryou said, trying to make conversation with Marik. The albino boy packed up his things and began walking out with Marik, happy to see him. "I got really worried about you in PE, I didn't see you there. Did you manage to get out of the assignment?" he asked. Marik went to answer his question, but instead let out a yelp as Bakura walked past him, punching him in the shoulder along the way. Marik instinctively reached up and rubbed his shoulder, while Ryou looked on in shock.

"Tell me you didn't," he groaned, and Marik gave a nervous chuckle. "I really did try, but she kept talking about how thankful she was and stuff, there's no way I could have said no." Ryou gave Marik a grumpy face, and began going on a rant. "You totally could have said no! That's all you have to say, 'no'. Please, at least tell me he isn't going to beat you up. I'm too young to go to your funeral." Marik sheepishly rubbed his head and continued walking alongside Ryou. "I don't think so, he seemed like he didn't want his parents getting involved or something, so I think I'm safe for now." Ryou continued talking about Bakura, but Marik simply stared at the scenery, happy to be walking with his friend, but worried about having to ask Ryou about his secret.

The two boys walked together as they made their way to the shops to pick up some afternoon snacks. Marik had a soft spot for chocolate, and would always pick out something sweet to gobble down, whereas Ryou had more gentle and traditional tastes, and usually preferred mint or vanilla. The two chose some sweets from the store, and resumed their walk home. "I heard there's a new cake shop opening nearby soon, that might be a good place for your birthday, considering how much you love sweets," Ryou commented. It was true that Marik had a sweet tooth, and the idea of a cake shop perked him up. He had dreamed of visiting a store and picking out an assortment of cakes and sweets to eat, though he had to make sure not to get more than he could eat. "I told Yugi that I wanted a surprise this year, so maybe you should talk to him about it. A cake shop would be amazing though! Do you think they'll sell miniature slices and everything?" he asked. Ryou and Marik continued chatting happily about their predictions and hopes for the cake shop as they made their way home.

"Maybe we can get them to make you a special birthday cake or something, considering-" Ryou's words were cut off suddenly and he froze in the street. Marik took a second to notice Ryou had stopped, but realised that Ryou was staring towards an alleyway, almost in fear. Marik looked at the alleyway, trying to figure out what was surprising Ryou, and caught a glimpse of a dark figure walking way. Marik didn't manage to catch his face, but it was obvious that Ryou knew who it was. "Um, Ryou?" he asked as he tried to get his friend's attention. Ryou snapped his head back to Marik and began walking again, albeit at a slightly faster pace. "Sorry, I thought I saw a squirrel!" he said cheerfully, though Marik knew he was lying. Ryou looked down and continued walking in silence, but Marik was becoming increasingly concerned. Ryou was his best friend, and he had always been there to help him. If Marik didn't ask now, there was no telling that another opportunity like this would come up again.

"Say Ryou, we've been good friends for years now. You'd tell me if something happened or if something was bothering you, wouldn't you?" he asked, trying to be as casual and calm as possible. Ryou gulped quietly and composed himself, then looked up at Marik with a fake smile. "Of course Marik, that's what friends are for, and you're certainly my best friend," he replied in a happy tone. Marik gave him a concerned look, then looked forward again. "Alright, thanks Ryou. Bakura just said something strange is all, but I trust you," he said. Ryou's smile was quickly replaced by shock and he starting fumbling with his fingers. "Did...did he say anything about me?" Ryou asked nervously, obviously anxious about something.

"He said he was surprised we hung out together and said you were hiding something, but it is Bakura so I guess I can't know for certain. What do you think Ryou?" Marik asked. Ryou gave Marik another fake smile, although this time it was less convincing. "O-Of course it's just Bakura being Bakura. Seriously Marik, you'd trust that bully over your best friend?" he asked jokingly, but Marik knew he was trying to redirect the conversation. Marik knew for certain now that Ryou was hiding something, but didn't have the heart to actually ask about it, and so he simply let it go. The two continued to walk in silence for a while, before arriving at a crossroads. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow Marik!" Ryou said quickly as he turned and began walking away. Marik had never seen him walk away so quickly, and it hurt him a little to know his friend was hiding stuff like this from him. Granted Marik had his own secrets, but it wasn't like he was specifically hiding them. If Ryou brought it up, he would most likely tell him, but for now he was just waiting until he felt okay with doing so. They were secrets not even Marik was ready to face yet.

* * *

Thursday passed by incredibly quickly, and Ryou had been obviously avoiding Marik. He left the classroom quickly after the bell rang and didn't sit with him during lunch, so Marik watched Yugi and his friends play Duel Monsters instead. Bakura and Marik didn't have another class until Friday, so they wouldn't be talking until then. Marik was slightly worried that Bakura would confront him on Thursday afternoon when he wasn't walking home with Ryou, but thankfully nothing happened. It was as if the whole world had just forgotten about Marik for a whole day, and while it did give him time to catch up and study, it also gave him time to wonder.

There were so many strange things going on, and Marik spent a lot of time wondering about what was going on. Ryou had been hiding something from Marik, something that Bakura knew about. Perhaps Ryou was involved in gang activity, and that's how he heard about Bakura getting into illegal business? Or maybe Bakura was blackmailing Ryou, and couldn't tell Marik for some reason. Whatever it was, he either had to wait for Bakura to let it slip, or wait for Ryou to come clean. Marik just hoped that it wasn't dangerous or bad, he would hate for his friend to get hurt. Marik wasn't strong and didn't have street smarts, but he would certainly stick up for Ryou, and hoped that he would lean on him if necessary.

Bakura hadn't been any better though. He had seen the albino teenager change eye colour twice, each time resulting in a change in personality, so something was definitely up with him. Marik had studied and read a number of books on medical conditions and strange scientific occurrences, although the closest thing he could think of was change in pupil size, and that certainly wasn't it. Regardless of the science behind it, it worried and confused Marik as to what it meant. Did this mean that Bakura had split personality disorder, or was subject to sudden changes in emotion? There was no way Bakura would ever tell Marik what it really was, but that didn't stop him from wondering.

* * *

Marik had been given all of Thursday and Friday morning to think about Ryou and Bakura, and before he knew it he was sitting in the classroom again instead of PE. The teacher locked the door again and arranged the desks, only this time she was chewing gum. "Alright you two, let's get some work done! See if you can come up with a division of work or something by the end of the lesson and think about what you're going to discuss." The teacher returned to her desk and eagerly pulled out her romance book, placing her earphones in again. Bakura took out the sheet with their current work, and began reading the guidelines of the assignment again. "It's always okay if she does it, but when I chew gum I'm 'distracting the class' and 'disrupting the lesson'. Total bullshit," Bakura mumbled angrily. Although Marik was confused and afraid of Bakura, it was nice to have some human interaction finally, and he laughed softly at Bakura's comment.

"Alright nerd, what have we got going on today? Please tell me we don't have much left," he groaned, placing his head on the table. Marik took the sheet and examined it, thinking carefully about what they should do this lesson. "Well, we said what texts we were going to do last time, so it would be good to figure out when we should meet up to work," Marik replied, looking over the sheet. Bakura sighed and hit his head on the table, startling Marik slightly. "Do we have to meet up? Can't we just do this in class?" he asked, slightly muffled by his thick hair.

"Well, I don't have a computer to watch your movie on, and it's probably longer than just one lesson. We could read the book in our own time and discuss it together afterwards, but it is quite short and a bit hard to understand, so maybe we should read together just incase. Plus it's only two weeks until holidays starts, so if we don't look at the texts soon then we'll have to meet up for the writing part, which we can just do in class," Marik explained. Bakura let out a long, depressed groan and sat up in his chair, placing his finger on his chin. Marik noticed that he had a habit of doing that when he was deep in thought. "What about the presentation though? I don't have a computer either, so we'd have to meet up to do that too," he pointed out. Marik quickly wrote something down on the piece of paper, then turned to Bakura.

"Alright, we can meet up twice and do the movie and book in one session, but it might take the whole day, or we could meet up three times and do each separately, but that means we'd have to meet two days in a row on the weekend or once in the holidays," Marik said, showing him the diagram he had drawn on the paper. Bakura looked at him with a bored expression, holding his arms behind his head. "Why can't we just meet up after school or something?" he asked nonchalantly. "Oh, well I have to study after school, and plus my family doesn't really like strangers in their house," Marik answered, making Bakura chuckle slightly. "Man, you really are a nerd."

Marik pulled out his weekly planner and opened up to December, ready to pencil in their time together. "So, what's it going to be Bakura?" Marik asked, eager to get some work done. Although it seemed boring to most people, Marik did enjoy his studies, and considering how cooperative Bakura was being, he felt even happier. Although they had a rough start, Marik felt more comfortable around Bakura, and actually felt happy to work with him. Bakura scratched his head and thought for a moment, then looked at the diagram again. "Well, we'd have to do the presentation last, so I guess we should meet up twice and finish whatever we have left over in class. The less time I have to spend doing this with you, the better." Marik felt a pang of sadness at Bakura's comment, but tried to shake it off. "Remember, he's just a jerk to everyone, he just wants to finish the work quickly," Marik reminded himself.

"If we have to do the presentation last, that means we should meet up this weekend for the movie and the book. So, um...when and where should we do this at?" Marik asked carefully. Bakura was obviously annoyed with all the questions, but played along knowing that it meant getting out of the work faster. "There's no way we're doing this at my house, I don't trust you to know where I live," Bakura replied coldly. Marik frowned a little at his comment. "Well, I'm not exactly keen on you knowing where I live, but one of us has to agree to this," Marik replied. "That's fine," Bakura replied with a grin. "We'll just do this at your house!" Marik sighed and sunk down in his chair. "How can he decide that so quickly?" Marik thought to himself with a defeated expression.

"Well, if we're going to do this at my house, then we can't do it on Sunday. My family doesn't work that day and they won't want guests over on their day off, so it's probably better if you come over tomorrow," Marik said, flipping though the pages of his weekly planner. Bakura growled in frustration at what Marik had said. "Seriously, I have to come over to your place tomorrow?" he asked angrily. Marik's anxiety began again, but he quickly recovered as he fiddled with his hands. "Well, you can either come over tomorrow, or we can go to your house," Marik snapped back, causing Bakura to back down. "Whatever," he mumbled, putting his head into his hand. Marik tried to remain calm on the outside, but he was mentally congratulating himself for being to brave to Bakura. Now it was the albino who was cornered for a change.

"My family should be out of the house from morning till evening, so I guess if you come around midday we should have enough time to finish this. Do you want me to give you the address or just draw a map?" Marik asked. "Seriously, stop treating me like I'm some kind of idiot. I know how to follow directions," Bakura snapped. Marik refrained from commenting and wrote down his address on a piece of paper, handing it to Bakura. "Oh, I should probably include my phone number just in case," Marik said, taking the paper back and scribbling his number on it. He blushed for a moment as he thought about what this meant. Marik was actually giving Bakura his phone number and address, and Bakura would actually come over to his house. Although it wasn't as romantic as Marik had daydreamed, he could still feel his heart beating with nervousness at the thought of giving Bakura his contact details.

Bakura took the slip of paper and slid it in his jacket pocket with a grunt. He looked incredibly bored organising all of this with Marik, but at least he wasn't too angry. Marik knew all too well how it felt to feel out of place or bored, and tried to break the ice a little. "Um, why don't you tell me about your movie?" Marik asked, making Bakura's ears perk up. He lifted his head and a smile broke out on his face, although it was more evil than happy. "Many fans of the series consider it to be the second greatest, although I disagree with that. The director's cut really captures the true essence of gore and violence, with babes and tanked guys running around with weapons. It's an all out battle royal between the survivors and the undead, but with heaps of horror and jump scares thrown in. Just between you and me, I had to pull a few strings to get a copy, it's banned in a lot of countries, and I mean a lot."

Marik was feeling less and less enthusiastic with each word, but he was still happy that Bakura was, in a way, opening up to him. Although he knew that he would dread the movie, it seemed worth it if it made Bakura happy. Bakura went into detail about the movie, and over time his evil smile turned into a sincere one. Marik stared at Bakura, watching as he explained the art of horror movies and how to create a good action scene. Bakura finished up his speech to Marik, and looked at him with a big grin on his face. Marik looked into Bakura's eyes, and a familiar feeling of confusion filled his body and mind. Bakura's eye colour swirled around, changing again, only this time the colour had become much lighter. They were much softer, like hot cocoa with extra milk, or warm chocolate chip cookies. Bakura's bright eyes and big smile made him look innocent and childlike, almost like Ryou.

Marik's heartbeat began to increase, and he could feel a slight blush rising on his cheeks. Bakura was staring at him with a happy and warm expression, as if the two were best friends having a laugh together. His gentle aura reminded Marik of all the daydreams he had thought of, where Bakura would act shy or be kind to Marik, and reveal a softer side of himself. He almost wanted to reach out and grab Bakura's hand or kiss him on the forehead, the thought of which made him warm up and turn red.

Eventually Bakura realised that he had been smiling happily at Marik and quickly dropped it. He promptly pulled a book out his bag and began pretending to read, trying to cover his face. "Well, if there's nothing else to talk about, I suppose we should just do our own thing until the bell," he said in his usual snarky voice, though it seemed a bit fake. Marik simply stared at Bakura, his heart still racing, but quickly snapped himself out of his trance. "No, there's no way he was being shy or embarrassed, Bakura doesn't do that," he thought to himself, trying to stop his romanticised thoughts of Bakura. He looked up at the clock on the wall and noted that there were only a few minutes left of the class. Although they had technically finished their work for the day, there was still one thing Marik wanted to ask Bakura about. Sure, he could ask tomorrow, but he had been so anxious thinking about it that he wouldn't feel better until his questions were answered.

"Um, Bakura? I had a question for you...about Ryou." Bakura remained hidden behind his book, but responded with a curious 'hmm' sound, indicating that he was listening. "Well, it's just that Ryou's been acting weird now that you've brought up his secret, and I just wanted to know what it was," Marik asked, fumbling his fingers together while looking at his feet. Bakura looked up from his book with a slight smile. "Didn't I tell you already? That's between you and Ryou, I'm not spoiling it for you." Marik looked up at Bakura, but he had already turned back to his book and hidden his face. He became increasingly worried and impatient, not to mention frustrated that Bakura wouldn't let him know. Marik quickly stood up from his chair, startling Bakura slightly, and bowed to Bakura, hands clenched by his sides.

"Please, Ryou is my best friend. I want to be there for him even if it's dangerous. Please, I just want to help my friend," Marik begged. He felt so embarrassed doing this, but knew that it was worth it if it meant helping Ryou. The two of them had always been great friends, and Marik had relied on Ryou so many times on the past. It would be wrong if Marik didn't try to do the same. Bakura looked up from his book with a surprised expression, then scratched his chin. He put his book and down and closed his eyes, sighing deeply. Marik remained standing, although he was no longer bowing, and watched as Bakura opened his eyes and gave him a serious look.

"Look, I really shouldn't be telling you about Ryou, especially since I don't really know you, I don't really like you and I don't really care. His business is his, my business is mine. If he's distancing himself, it's probably better if you keep it that way." Bakura stared at Marik for a few seconds, as if to tell him 'seriously, leave it', then returned to his book. Marik simply sat down and packed up his stuff, waiting for the bell. It only took a minute or two to ring, startling the teacher. She yelped and almost fell out of her chair, but quickly recovered and walked over to the boys. "Alright, let's see what you did this lesson."

"Well, we decided how many times we were going to meet up to get the work done, and we organised a time this week. We should be finished writing everything before the holidays if we follow the plan," Marik explained. The teacher perked up and gave him a pat on the head, making Marik jump slightly. "That's the Marik I know, so organised! You could really take a page out of his book Bakura," she said in a sly, condescending tone. Bakura growled at her and she stepped back, scratching her head. "Sorry, sorry. Be careful when you meet up with him Marik, he seems extra pouty recently," she said casually to Marik, giving him a wink. Bakura simply crossed his arms and waited for her to open the door, but Marik sat in surprise. Bakura seemed so threatening, he was surprised how playful the teacher was with him. "Hurry up woman!" Bakura snapped, standing by the door. The teacher sighed and walked over, opening the door for him. Bakura quickly slid out of the room, obviously annoyed with her.

"Such a baby!" she whispered to Marik carefully, giving him one last wink. "Don't tell him I said that though, last thing I need is another word with the principal!"

* * *

Marik had been exhausted with all of his questions and emotions, and was finally glad when he made it through the front door of his house. He took of his shoes and began walking to his room to unpack, the house filled with silence as usual. Ishizu and Rishid would be late again, and Ryou wasn't talking to Marik right now, so he was all alone for the evening. Although Marik was exhausted, he was indeed grateful that it was finally the weekend, and that meant doing whatever he liked. Normally he read through romantic novels or indulged in his hobbies, but this weekend would be even better. Marik put his bag down and jumped onto his bed, cuddling his sheets and squealing in excitement. It was almost too good to be true, Bakura would be visiting him, in his own house, with no one else around. Of course, it would most likely be awkward and they would just do work, but Marik couldn't help but wonder. He blushed and moved around, unable to keep still, at the thought of answering the door and seeing Bakura. Perhaps Marik could cook something for him, and Bakura would compliment it, or maybe Bakura would feel comfortable being together, and the two would become friends. Or maybe, just maybe, Bakura would use the opportunity to confess his feelings to Marik.

Marik's mind was filled with embarrassing thoughts, but he forced himself to push them out of mind. If Bakura was coming over then he needed to tidy up the place, just in case he decided to check out Marik's room for whatever reason. Marik's room was usually pretty tidy, but it didn't hurt to do a quick vacuum and a dust. He got up from his bed and walked out to the kitchen to get some cleaning supplies. Marik walked through the kitchen before pausing quickly, then looked at the fridge. A large piece of paper had been stuck to the fridge with a magnet, and there was something written on it in big red lettering.

" _Marik, Rishid and I have had some legal stuff come up concerning dad. Sorry for the short notice, won't be back until Monday. Money on counter."_

For a second Marik simply stood there, rereading the note again and again. The words played over in his head, and it suddenly clicked in his mind what this meant. Marik would be completely alone with Bakura, in his house, for the whole day. On one hand he was ecstatic, thinking about how he would have the whole day with Bakura, completely undisturbed. On the other hand, it meant that he would have no protection whatsoever if Bakura decided to beat Marik up instead, and that he would have to deal with Bakura all by himself. Considering how Bakura had been acting and his reputation, Marik would say that the latter was much more viable than the former.

Marik quickly began rushing around, filled with adrenaline and fear. He needed to make sure that the house was tidy and everything was taken care of just in case Bakura tried anything funny. There was no way of knowing for certain that Bakura wouldn't try to murder Marik in cold blood. If one thing was certain though, it was that tomorrow was going to be dramatic and stressful as hell. "Please god, don't let me die!" Marik prayed.


	5. Chapter 5: Zombie Blood 7 Director's Cut

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

Marik had spent the entire afternoon cleaning in anticipation for Bakura, fueled by his adrenaline. His house was spotless from top to bottom, every surface had been scrubbed and every stray piece of dust had been removed. All the books and DVDs had been alphabetised, all the food in the cabinets and fridge were organised in terms of food groups, not a single thing was out of place. Although Bakura would most likely not use a lot of rooms, particularly Ishizu or Rishid's rooms, Marik still wanted everything to be perfect. His cleaning was partially motivated by the idea that he wanted to appear good for Bakura out of excitement, but he was also motivated by the idea that Bakura would be judging him like a hawk. It was one thing if Bakura found things to tease Marik about at school, but Marik's house was a whole new ballgame. There were so many details about Marik's house that Bakura might decide to embarrass or bully him about, whether it was the choice of DVDs that they owned or the type of soap they use in the bathroom. Bakura had already shown that he would tease Marik, and although he was certainly acting a lot less horrible than what Marik anticipated, he couldn't afford to take any risks. By the time Marik had completely scrubbed the house down it was already dark outside. Exhausted, Marik changed out of his clothes and into some warm pajamas. He eyed the clothes in his wardrobe while he dressed, trying to figure out what to wear tomorrow. Marik owned lots of lavender clothing and midriffs, and while they made him look absolutely fabulous, there was no way Bakura wouldn't laugh at him. He had some decent pants so he picked out a nice black pair and threw them on his bed, as well as socks and boxers. Marik decided to play it safe and picked out a simple black and white striped shirt as well, throwing it onto the pile. Once he was happy with his clothing selection and had finished dressing he closed his wardrobe and headed to the kitchen for some food.

Although his brother and sister had left some money for Marik, he didn't want to spend it on pizza in case he needed something later, so instead he got out some vegetables and a bowl and began preparing a salad. It might have seemed like a boring meal choice, but Marik really enjoyed eating salads with lots of ingredients, especially since he was a vegetarian. Cooking classes at school had taught him well, and Marik was able to quickly dice the vegetables and mix them together in the bowl, topping them off with a little dressing. It made him happy to cook, even if he wasn't the best, because it reminded him of how far he had come in life. Although it sounded silly, the fact that Marik knew how to wield a kitchen knife and make healthy and delicious meals meant that he was independent and had life skills, and that he didn't need to rely on people like his father. Perhaps it was a bit much, but the idea that he would be okay comforted Marik.

After Marik had finished his dinner and tidied everything up one last time, he finally retired to bed. Everything in the house was settled, the kitchen and living room were clean, Marik had his pajamas on, not a single thing was out of place. And yet, despite everything being perfect for a good nights sleep, Marik's mind was absolutely racing. It really hadn't sinked in until now that Bakura, _the_ Bakura that he had a crush on, was going to come to Marik's house tomorrow while he was completely alone. Marik tried desperately to stop thinking about it, but every time he shut his eyes all he could imagine in his head was answering the door and seeing Bakura. He tossed and turned in his bed, trying to switch his thoughts off, but to no avail. "Maybe if I just entertain the thought it will go away," Marik thought defeatedly, upset with himself for being so emotional about the whole ordeal.

Marik closed his eyes and sighed, trying to focus on imagining the situation. It would be quite cold, so perhaps Bakura would be wearing a warm jumper or scarf. He might get a lift from his parents, or maybe take a bike over. He was going to be bringing his movie over, which Marik was evidently not looking forward to, but it did present a chance for some intimate moments. Perhaps Bakura would cuddle up to Marik, or grab his hand when he got scared. Maybe the lights turned off and the soft illumination would present the perfect setting for the two of them…

The thoughts running through Marik's head were to embarrassing to imagine, even for him. He could feel his cheeks turning hot and tried covering his head with the covers. "I need to just think of something else," he mumbled to himself softly. Once again, Marik closed his eyes, this time aiming for something more relaxing. Instead of watching the movie, perhaps they were writing down notes and drinking cocoa together. Marik would be shivering from the cold, but Bakura would be wearing a warm jacket and would instinctively drape it around Marik's shoulders. The two would stare into each others eyes and Bakura's smile would almost be warm enough to stop Marik's chills. Although it was embarrassing, Bakura would insist on holding Marik, cuddling him deep into his chest. And the smell, the unique and comforting scent would waft into Marik's nose and calm him down. Their heartbeats would sync up with one another, and they would sit there enjoying each others company, just being romantic. And then...and then…

Before Marik could even finish his thoughts he drifted off into sleep, comforted by the thought of Bakura simply holding him and cherishing him, just like a lover.

* * *

Although Marik's night had been somewhat comfortable, his morning was certainly much more stressful. The loud vibration of his phone shook Marik from his peaceful sleep, and he jumped up in surprise. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to get his bearings and figure out the source of the noise. Marik quickly realised that his phone was the cause of his rude awakening, and angrily picked it up to turn it off. If there was one thing Marik hated, it was having his beauty sleep interrupted. Marik picked the phone up and began holding down the power button, but stopped and gasped slightly when he read the notification on the screen.

" _I'll be over in thirty minutes."_

A whirlwind of emotion filled Marik, and he didn't know whether to be excited or panicking. Bakura, the person he dreamt about, the one who managed to steal his heart, was finally coming over!

"Oh no...he's coming over..."

Marik rushed to dress himself into the clothes he had picked out and attempted to tidy up his room. A half hour always seemed way too long when he had nothing to do, but when he had something on it always went much faster, meaning Marik had to hurry. He fixed the covers on his bed and threw his pajamas into his dirty laundry basket, desperately trying to get everything in order. Not only did Marik need to prepare his house, but also himself. He had to make sure he was cool, calm and collected before Bakura arrived.

He ran towards the hallway and skidded to a stop with his socks, sliding out of his room and into the hall, before taking off again and rushing to the kitchen. Marik quickly glanced over at his watch, shocked to find that it was just past midday. "I knew the batteries in my alarm were almost dead, but I didn't think they were _that_ close to dying. Why did it have to die today, of all days?" Marik growled under his breathe. He was thankful Bakura had texted him at least, there was no way Marik would survive if he messed this day up.

Marik threw two pieces of bread into the toaster and pulled the lever down, trying to make breakfast as quick as possible. It had taken Marik about ten minutes just to get his bedroom ready and there was still so much to do. While his toast was cooking Marik rushed into the bathroom to tidy up. He always made sure to wash his face and make sure his hair looked perfect, so it was even more important that he looked alright today. Deep down Marik knew that Bakura was most likely just going to be pissed all day and that nothing would happen, but he still wanted to look as good as possible. Marik had avoided wearing his usual midriff tops, but everyone knew that he wore kohl around his eyes, so he saw no harm in putting it on today. Once he was happy with how he looked Marik rushed back into the kitchen and spread some jam on his toast, trying to shovel it down as quickly as possible. Bakura was only a few minutes away now, and Marik tried to do breathing techniques in-between bites of toast.

The living room had a window that faced the front of the house, so Marik rushed over and peered out. Ishizu had strung up thick lace curtains, and although it was somewhat hard to see out of them, it also meant Bakura couldn't see in. Perhaps it was slightly strange to be watching for Bakura, but Marik couldn't help it. He waited anxiously by the window, peering through the lace, trying his hardest to look for signs of movement. It was particularly windy and the trees were blowing quite hard, but apart from that there was no movement.

Marik gulped down the last few bites of his toast and looked at his wrist watch. It had been just over thirty minutes, and Bakura still wasn't in sight. He went over what to say and do when Bakura arrived in head over and over, trying to imagine the perfect confrontation. With each passing second Marik's heartbeat raced a little faster and he could feel his body heating up.

A foot appeared from the edge of the window, and it was if time froze. A wave of anxiety rushed over Marik and he held his breathe, feeling his blood go cold. Bakura slowly came into sight, his hands in his pockets and an annoyed expression on his face. Although Marik had been practicing how to answer the door, seeing Bakura actually walking up his street and to his house caused his mind to go completely blank. It was like a moment from one of Marik's romance novels, the first time they were meeting outside of school so they could spend time with each other. Their first date.

Bakura reached the edge of Marik's house, causing him to panic. There was still so much Marik could have done to tidy the house, like put his pajamas in the wash or make Bakura some breakfast as well. Bakura took a few more steps towards the house. Maybe Marik should have arranged his kitchen cabinets better, so Bakura would know where everything was, or bleached the bathroom, or sprayed some air freshener. Bakura finally reached Marik's house…

...and walked right past it. At first Marik stood there, still panicking and lost in his anxious and erratic thoughts. After a few more steps down the street, the cogs in Marik's head began to turn, as he watched the situation unfold. Despite being given instructions, Bakura was still walking down the road, kicking rocks as he went by. "Did...did he get lost?" Marik whispered to himself.

Sure enough the albino stopped and sighed, taking out some paper and observing it. He scratched his head and looked around, appearing to be quite lost. All of the panic and anxiety in Marik had been replaced with laughter, and he began to giggle as he continued watching. Bakura, the tough guy of the school, the one person everyone feared, looked so adorable being lost. Even with his pissed off expression and negative attitude, the whole situation seemed so innocent and cute to Marik. He could just imagine it now, Marik would tease Bakura about being lost and he would strongly deny it, his cheeks probably turning bright red with embarrassment. Still, as cute as it was in Marik's head, the situation in reality was vastly different.

After a few moments of Bakura looking around and failing to notice the correct house, Marik made his way towards his front door, shaking with each footstep. He grasped the handle, counting in his head to try and calm down, and slowly opened it as if he were peaking outside. He squeaked the door open just enough to see out, and looked at Bakura through the crack. Even from behind Bakura looked wonderful. His long white hair blew softly in the wind, giving him a majestic and wild feel. He wore a dark leather jacket with some torn jeans and a rugged t-shirt, giving him his infamous tough appearance, as well as a shoulder bag with various pins and scratches.

Carefully, Marik opened the door and stepped out a little. Bakura looked up once more and looked around at the house numbers, before catching sight of Marik. The two locked eyes, silent as the wind swept through the streets, causing their hair to blow gently. Bakura crumpled up the paper and stuffed it into his pocket as he walked over to Marik, avoiding the blonde's gaze. He tried his best to keep a cool composure, but it was obvious from the slight blush on his cheeks that he was embarrassed to have been spotted. Marik said nothing, too nervous and anxious to form a sentence, and instead opened the door and stood inside, holding it open for Bakura to walk in. "Hey," Bakura said awkwardly, stepping over the door's threshold and entering Marik's house. To Bakura the whole situation was just an awkward meeting between acquaintances, but to Marik this was his dream turning into reality.

As Marik shut the door, still too shocked to speak, Bakura began looking around at the house. Marik and his siblings had their bedrooms upstairs, along with the bathroom, and so Bakura had begun looking around at the kitchen and living room. The house was mostly bare, with neutral coloured walls and few decorations, though it still had a humble feel to it. The small office in the corner had bookshelves filled with a number of historical texts, and the fireplace was covered with pictures of Marik and his siblings. Bakura walked over and began examining one of the photos, from when Marik still lived in Egypt. Marik simply watched for a moment, lost for words as he watched Bakura walking around in his home, before collecting his thoughts and doing his best to speak.

"U-Um, please make yourself at home. We have plenty of food, and the DVD player is all set up," Marik said quietly, fidgeting with his fingers. Bakura turned his attention away from the photo and back to Marik, and he began walking over to him. Marik took a step back, hitting the wall behind him slightly as Bakura walked over and stood in front of him. The albino gave him a dark stare, trying his best to intimidate Marik, while the blonde stood shaking in surprise. "Listen clearly, because I'm only going to say this once," Bakura snapped at him. "If you tell anyone about me coming here, or anything we do today, I will break you in half. Is that clear?" Bakura's words dripped with hate, and all Marik could do was shakily nod his head while staring into Bakura's deep brown eyes. In Marik's mind he had expected the visit to be much more pleasant and calm, but once again reality set in, and it became clear that Bakura wasn't going to make this day easy.

The albino quickly tore himself away from Marik and moved towards the TV, flopping onto the sofa and removing his shoulder bag. Marik stepped towards him, still shaken from Bakura's words, and sat down slowly as if he were sitting next to a wild animal. Bakura pulled out a DVD with the title 'Zombie Blood 7 Director's Cut' and began opening the case, preparing the movie that Marik had agreed to watch. The cover featured a screaming face covered in blood and guts, and Marik felt a shiver go down his spine. Although he wasn't as sensitive as Ryou or Yugi, Marik was still pretty weak when it came to scary things, and couldn't handle gore very well. Despite his feelings towards horror, Marik couldn't tear his eyes away from the screaming face, and a thought popped into the back of his head. For a moment his father's face flashed into Marik's mind, causing a jolt of pain to run down his back. Marik jumped up, half out of pain and half out of shock, surprising Bakura a little. The albino gave him a concerned and confused look, and Marik desperately tried to think of an out. "I-I'll go get some snacks," he mumbled, rushing over to the kitchen. His breathing began to worsen and he felt his body heating up, though his blood still felt cold as ice. Marik slapped himself quietly, trying his best to get the thoughts out of his mind, as he began to pull out some popcorn and chips from the cupboards. "Focus Marik, just breathe," he whispered to himself carefully. "It can't hurt you, just forget about those memories, focus on Bakura instead."

After giving himself a moment to calm down, Marik made his way back to the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and some chips, as well as a large bottle of cola and some glasses. He placed them down on the coffee table as Bakura slipped the DVD into the player and fiddled with the remote. The machine began to whirr to life, and after a few moments the menu screen appeared. "Alright, movie time!" Bakura shouted happily, giving Marik a sly grin. The blonde smiled back weakly, but Bakura could tell that he was uncomfortable, making the albino grin even more. "Ah, but of course, we can't have a mystery movie without a little atmosphere," Bakura said, jumping up from the sofa and switching the lights off. Marik squeaked a little as he watched Bakura flick the switch, blinding him slightly for a second. The light from the TV stung his eyes, and he felt Bakura sit down once more, a large grin on his face. "U-Uh, how long will t-this be?" Marik asked, his words stumbling from his fear. "Oh, you know, just a short three hour film," Bakura replied, laughing softly as he watched Marik's expression of fear.

"Now then, let's begin!"

It didn't take long for Marik to curl up into a ball on the sofa, as embarrassing as it was. Bakura didn't seem phased as the movie played, filled with gory images and screams right from the beginning. Marik, on the other hand, had already stuffed his face into a couch cushion, glancing up occasionally to see what was happening before hiding once more. Bakura began laughing as zombies began devouring a woman on screen, tearing her flesh from her body and causing blood to fly everywhere. Marik tried his best to focus on the cushion he was holding, but he was quickly interrupted as Bakura grabbed the pillow from him and shook his finger. "No hiding Marik, you have to pay attention for the assignment, remember?" Bakura said with a sly grin. It was true, he did have to know the plot in order to complete the work, but he couldn't help but hate every second of it.

The movie began to calm and Marik tried his best to watch it, hiding his eyes slightly with his hands as Bakura continued laughing at the movie. The heroes entered a moment of calm from all the bloodshed as they began to walk around a hospital, weapons at the ready. The walls were soaked in blood, and corpses littered the ward. For a moment Marik thought that things had finally settled down, and that he might be able to watch after all, until a jump scare popped out, causing Marik to scream in fear. He quickly pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head in them, too afraid to continue watching, and Bakura began to laugh at him. The albino slapped his leg as he laughed hysterically, taking great amusement in Marik's fear. "Oh man Marik, you should have seen the look on your face! I think you jumped a few feet off the sofa!" he giggled, punching Marik in the arm gently. Marik remained curled up, both out of fear from the movie and out of embarrassment from Bakura, as he did his best to calm his breathing down. For a few moments Bakura continued to laugh, until finally stopping and looking at Marik.

"Come on Marik, don't tell me you're this much of a wimp," he said blankly, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the coffee table. "You do have a pair, don't you?" He watched for a moment, expecting Marik to look up and snap back at him, but instead the blonde remained curled up on the sofa, shaking ever so softly. Bakura rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the movie as he shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth, trying to ignore him. He continued laughing at the jokes and gulping down snack food, but after a few moments of Marik refusing to move, Bakura snuck a look at him from the corner of his eye. Marik sat curled up, delicate and weak, too afraid to move. He tried desperately to think of a way out of the situation in his mind, but was still too shaken to act.

Marik heard Bakura sigh, then jumped as he felt a hand on his back. He braced himself, expecting Bakura to give him a slap or a punch for being so weak, but instead Bakura began to rub his back, as if to console him. Marik carefully pulled his head up from his knees and looked over at Bakura, cautious from Bakura's unnatural behaviour. The albino scooted over a little closer to Marik as he rubbed his back, though he tried his best to hide his face from the blonde. The movie continued playing in the background, but Marik's mind had tuned it out, and his attention was focused on Bakura completely. Neither of them spoke a word, too afraid to say anything to the other. Marik leaned forward slowly, careful to not let Bakura see him, and tried to look at the albino's face. He edged forward carefully until he caught a glimpse of it, then moved his head back once more. He only had a second to look at Bakura, but it was clear that Bakura's eyes had been switching colours once again. Bakura turned his head towards Marik, causing the two to lock eyes, and he slowly moved closer to the blonde. His eyes were a mixture of their usual hazel colour and dark chocolate, the two colours swirling around gently in his eyes.

"Marik..." he whispered. His name rolled off Bakura's tongue perfectly, and Marik felt his cheeks warm up like hot Egyptian sand as he stared at Bakura's face, illuminated by the light from the TV. Bakura nudged closer and closer, until Marik could feel his hot breath on his face, causing his body and mind to go crazy. Butterflies filled his stomach and his body began to go weak, causing him to wobble slightly. His mind begged him to look away and snap back to reality, but Marik was caught in Bakura's gaze, too nervous to do anything. A thought struck his mind, and he gasped as he imagined what Bakura might do next. "Is he...going to kiss me…?" Marik wondered, still in shock.

The moment was quickly interrupted by a huge crack of lightning and thunder, and the boys screamed as the TV fizzled out with a large bang. Marik closed his eyes as the thunder roared, falling back on the sofa with a squeak. He felt the air rush out of his lungs as if he were winded, and remained still as his body went into a moment of shock. The thunder began to die down, but he was still blinded by the lack of light, and struggled to see what was going on. The two remained silent as they attempted to regain their senses, and after what seemed like an eternity the television flickered back on to a static screen, illuminating the room slightly. Marik still felt a weight on his chest, and carefully opened his eyes to see what was holding him down.

Marik had expected some furniture to have fallen on him from the ferocity of the lightning, but instead he was met with a tangled mess of fluffy white hair on his chest. It took a second to register what was happening, but finally Marik's mind caught up with him and his cheeks began to flush. "B-Bakura is lying on t-top of m-me," he thought, completely in shock.

The albino groaned slightly, causing Marik to panic and struggle. He tried his best to apologise or say something, but no words would come out of his mouth, and his arms failed him as he tried to pull himself up. Still acting on instinct, Marik pulled his legs up to try and move, but instead his right thigh was caught between Bakura's legs. He paused, panicking as Bakura pulled himself up slightly and looked at him. "That was Bakura's-" Marik quickly cut his thought off, too surprised to even continue. His cheeks turned a deep red, somewhat visible from the light of the TV, and Bakura stared into his eyes once again, as if he were a deer caught in the headlights. The colours in his eyes had stopped swirling, and was now completely dark chocolate, making him appear more wild than before. Bakura's cheeks had also begun to change colour, and the two sat in silence staring, Bakura's hot breath blowing onto Marik's neck. Marik's body spiraled out of control, and he felt himself heat up with embarrassment and nervousness, not to mention he could feel his lower body 'reacting'. The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever, getting lost in each other's eyes, before Bakura's eyes switched back to their normal colour and he seemingly came back to reality. His face quickly turned red as he realised the position he was in, and he jolted off of Marik and away from the sofa.

"Don't come near me!" he shouted, running up the stairs and out of Marik's sight. He heard a door slam, and within moments the room was silent once again, with Marik trying to process what had happened a few seconds earlier. The situation kept playing again and again in his mind, and he felt his heart racing. Their lips had been inches apart, their bodies had been tangled together, their eyes had been locked. It was as if Marik's dreams had all come true and had crumbled completely in an instant. After replaying the memory in his head a few times he finally regained his senses, and shot up from the sofa. Thunder still roared outside, though it wasn't as strong as it had been before, and the wind howled, causing soft bangs as debris hit the sides of the house. Marik grabbed the remote and switched the channels, searching to see if there was a weather report anywhere, but none of the channels seemed to be working. Carefully, Marik opened the window and looked outside, only to be met with strong winds and heavy rain. "Of all the things that could happen today, it had to storm!" he shouted in his mind, cursing his bad luck. Marik sighed, trying to figure out what to do. His body was still going crazy from before, and all Marik could think about was jumping into his bed and forgetting about the whole ordeal…

"My bedroom!" he whispered in a panicked voice. Bakura had run upstairs and into one of the rooms, and Marik prayed as he ran up the stairs that Bakura hadn't chosen his room to hide in.

"Please don't be my room, please don't be my room, please don't-"

Marik froze as he stared at his bedroom door, which was shut and locked. He grabbed his hair in frustration and began mentally kicking himself, but quickly regained his composure. There was no time for Marik to beat himself up over it, and instead he panicked as he thought of what Bakura might be doing. Perhaps he was going through his possessions, or going through his journal, or his secret stash of yaoi novels. He wanted to just disappear into a hole, or run far away and never look back, but Marik knew that he had to face the situation head on, and the sooner the better. He took a second to prepare himself, trying desperately to calm his heartbeat and his breathing down, then knocked on the door. "U-Um, Bakura-"

"Go away," he snapped back immediately. Marik could easily tell that Bakura was pissed off and dangerous, but knew he had to continue before Bakura looked in his room. "Please Bakura, open the door, you're in my room," he begged. A soft bang came from the room, as if Bakura had kicked something over, making Marik wince. "Piss off Marik, I told you to leave me alone!" he shouted, anger dripping from each word. Marik felt a pang of hurt from his heart, but continued knocking on the door, despite Bakura's emotions. "Bakura, I'm sorry, I just wanted to check if you were okay," he said, trying to keep calm. It wasn't a complete lie, as Marik did want to know if Bakura was alright, but he also wanted to make sure Bakura wasn't going through his personal belongings. Marik heard Bakura cursing softly for a moment, before going silent. The lock turned gently, clicking into place, and Marik heard Bakura walk back towards his bed. His heart refused to slow down, but Marik continued, sweating nervously as he turned the handle and peered into the room.

Bakura had curled himself up on Marik's bed, his back facing the blonde, and had turned on the bedside lamp. His desk chair appears to be kicked over, but apart from that nothing was damaged or out of place. Marik couldn't help his body's reaction as he looked at Bakura lying down on his bed, and almost had to stop himself from squealing. After taking a moment to calm down his emotions, Marik stepped forward and began to walk over to Bakura. By the time he had reached the bedside, Marik's excitement had faded, and was replaced by dread and fear. "Did he read my journal? Or go through my stuff?" Marik thought, panicking as he stopped and looked at Bakura. The teen sat up from the bed and crossed his legs, making sure to hide his face from Marik. He said nothing to Marik, but he could tell from the blush on his face that he was embarrassed. Marik scrunched his hands up, preparing himself for the worst, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I...I just wanted to say I'm s-sorry for earlier," Marik apologised, fidgeting with his hands. Bakura shook his head, and for a moment Marik caught a glimpse of his eyes again, which were swirling and changing colours once again. Bakura grabbed his head and pulled his knees to his chest, trying to hide his face even more. "It's not you Marik..." he whispered, still angry but much calmer. Marik reached out his hand to rub Bakura's back and comfort him, as he had done to Marik earlier, but Bakura swatted it away quickly. "Don't...don't come closer..." he whispered, his voice growing weaker and his breathing beginning to slow. Marik thought that Bakura would have been angry at him, or maybe even violent, but didn't expect him to feel ill. Marik gathered up his courage, nervous as to what he was about to say, and then spoke.

"B-Bakura, I know you don't like me, a-and I know you want me to go, but...please, I just want to help you," Marik said, his voice shaking. He knew it was a risky move after Bakura had told him to leave, but he knew it had to mean something that Bakura unlocked the door for him, and he didn't want to leave Bakura when he looked so weak and helpless. Bakura looked up at him, his eyes still swirling and his face flushed and sweaty. Marik tried to avert his eye, still too nervous to look at him, but failed as his eyes kept trailing back to Bakura's soft face.

"You really don't remember, do you?" he asked curiously, his breath becoming more rugged with each passing second. Marik paused, before shaking his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused as to what Bakura meant. The albino grabbed his head again, as if in pain, and looked away once more. "Forget it, I can't tell you anyway."

Marik had switched emotions from excited, to fearful, and now to angry. He was fed up with the constant rollercoaster of secrets being kept from him, not just from Ryou but from Bakura too. Without thinking, Marik grabbed Bakura's arm, causing the albino to look up and stare at him. For a moment, it almost seemed like Bakura was the one afraid of Marik. "What do you mean you can't tell me? Why can't you tell me? Why are you hiding all these secrets about me?" he blurted out, too emotional to hold himself back anymore. Every part of his body was trying to warn him to stop, but Marik forced himself to confront Bakura, even if he was shaking while doing it. Bakura scowled at Marik and got off of his bed, staring him in the eye as if he were trying to show his power. "I can't tell you because I promised that I wouldn't, okay?" he shouted, almost spitting in Marik's face. Marik knew he should back down now and apologise, but instead he kept going, fueled by his newfound adrenaline rush. "Who did you promise that to?" he asked, just as angry as Bakura. The albino was taken aback for a second, surprised that Marik was challenging him, before giving him a deathly glare and cracking his knuckles. "Ryou!" Bakura shouted, storming out of the bedroom.

Marik would have normally been surprised by Bakura's statement, but he had known that Ryou was keeping secrets too, and wanted to get to the bottom of it. If he was going to ruin any chances of being friends with Bakura, he may as well find out the whole truth. He rushed out to catch up with Bakura, who was making his way down the stairs already. "You're both keeping secrets from me, and I know he won't tell me what it is-"

"That's your problem then, isn't it?" Bakura snapped back, interrupting Marik's shouting. The blonde curled his hand into a fist, fed up with all of the secrets, and punched the wall as he raced after Bakura. He wasn't strong enough to leave a dent, but it certainly made Marik's hand hurt, though he shook it quickly due to the adrenalin. "If you cared about Ryou, then you'd tell me so I can help him!"

Bakura reached for the door, but froze when he heard Marik's words. For a moment Bakura looked as if he were going to race back and beat Marik up, causing the blonde to freeze in his path as well. Instead, Bakura shook his head again, and glared at Marik. "If you cared about Ryou, maybe you'd stop fucking asking, since he obviously doesn't want you to know! Frankly, I don't give a shit if you and Ryou are friends! I don't care if you never speak to each other again! And I certainly don't ever want to see you again!"

Bakura whipped around and swung the door open, ready to run outside. He took a step out of the door, but quickly realised how heavy the storm had become, and jumped back in. His jeans and shirt were somewhat drenched from where he'd stepped out, and the wind made a piercing screech as it blew down the street. Branches and twigs flew around, and a few hail stones began to fall on the street and roof, causing the house to rattle and creak. Bakura slammed the door shut and paused, as if coming to a realisation, then turned back to Marik. The two looked at each other, the reality of the situation sinking into both of them.

They were stuck together.


	6. Chapter 6: Stuck Together

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

After their shouting match and Bakura's failed attempt to leave Marik's house, the two had sat down on the couch in silence, both of them sitting as far away from the other as possible. Neither had said a word since their argument, but their body language was quite different. Bakura sat with his legs crossed on the right side of the sofa, scowling at the wall so that he didn't have to look at the blonde. Marik, on the other hand, was sitting with his legs crossed and his hands together, looking down at his lap as he fidgeted with his hands. The storm continued raging outside, failing to calm down, and so the two were stuck together until then.

The two sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Marik tried his best to avoid looking at Bakura, but couldn't help his gaze being drawn to the albino. He cautiously turned his head, hoping to sneak a look at the teen, but quickly shot his head back down when he noticed Bakura turning his head towards Marik. The albino coughed, as if to grab the blonde's attention, and Marik looked up at him, too afraid to confront him now that his adrenalin had worn off.

"So what are we going to do until the storm passes?" he asked, staring blankly at Marik. He had an expression of boredom on his face, but Marik could tell that he was also still in pain, as if he had a lingering headache. Marik turned away slightly, still trying to avert Bakura's gaze, both out of regret and shame. He had been so stupid to say those things about Ryou, especially to Bakura, and he felt too ashamed to look at either of them now. "I...I suppose we could work on the assignment, get it over and done with," he mumbled, still fumbling with his hands to distract himself. His heart and breathing had calmed down at the least, but his anxiety and nervousness remained. "We could do that, but you're too much of a pussy to handle a little bit of horror," Bakura spat, rolling his eyes at Marik. "Why did I have to get stuck with such a wimp for the assignment?"

Marik felt his heart drop, and squeezed his hands to try and distract himself. There was no doubt now that Bakura was going to beat him up and tell everyone at school about what happened. He had known right from the start how much of a cold hearted bully Bakura was, right from the moment he fell in love, but he still didn't expect it to hurt so badly. Before the assignment Marik could at least watch Bakura from afar, staying back far enough so that he didn't get caught up in Bakura's life, but now there was no escaping it. "My one chance to get closer to him, and now he absolutely hates me," he whispered in his mind, mentally slapping himself. Silence fell in the room once again as Marik grabbed his shirt, trying to numb the pain he felt in his chest. It was the kind of hurt where his heart fell into his stomach, and where he couldn't help but feel tears well up in his eyes.

As he felt his eyes begin to water, Marik quickly wiped them and thought of something to say, hoping to prevent Bakura from noticing his tears. "W-We could try doing my book instead," Marik suggested, though it was met from a harsh sigh by Bakura. "That piece of garbage? No thank you. Besides, I don't have a copy, and I'm certainly not sharing yours." Once again Marik's heart stung, only this time he couldn't help it as his cheeks turned wet, and he turned away hoping that Bakura wouldn't see. It was one thing if they had a fight, or that Marik had curled into a ball afraid, but seeing someone cry meant seeing someone at their weakest moment, and Marik couldn't afford to let Bakura see that. Marik struggled to think of what to do next, and whether he should say something to Bakura, but thankfully the awkward silence was broken by Bakura's cellphone ringing.

The albino stood up from the sofa and walked over to Marik's kitchen, sighing with frustration as he looked at the phone screen. Marik remained hidden from him, but tried his best to sneak a look occasionally. Bakura answered the call and held the phone up to his ear, but before he could say anything the person on the phone began to scream and shout.

"What the hell? Mum could you just...look I can barely hear you...can you just shut up for two seconds and let me talk!" Bakura had begun a shouting match, and slammed his fist onto the counter in the kitchen, startling Marik. "Listen, there's a storm...yeah I know, the TVs busted here too...you don't need to keep shouting about it!"

The conversation startled Marik, and it reminded him somewhat of his father. He remembered the nights of his father coming home and beating him, shouting in Marik's face. He tried his best to push the memories back, but it was difficult to while listening to Bakura's conversation. He almost couldn't believe how Bakura was speaking to his mum, considering his fear of her finding out about his grades, but then again Bakura didn't really seem like the kind of person to have manners.

"Listen I don't know when the storm will die down...yeah I know that's what you want, but I'm not going out in that bloody cold weather...I'm just gonna stay at my friend's house...no I'm not staying out with a girl!" Bakura's continued shouting at his mother, but Marik couldn't help blush a little at his comments. Even though he was sure it didn't mean anything, it was still surprising for Bakura to say that Marik was his friend.

"If I come home, then I come home, but until that storm dies down, I'll be here. Don't bother calling back," Bakura snapped, ending the call and slamming his fist on the counter again. His breathing turned rugged, and Marik heard as he began slamming doors and hitting whatever he could, causing the Egyptian to shake and curl into a ball. Pain shot up his back, and he began hyperventilating again as Bakura made his way back to the sofa and threw himself on it, landing with a large 'thump'.

"Honestly, that woman just doesn't listen! She must be braindead if she thinks I'm seriously using it as an excuse to feel up some chick," he spat, still enraged from the phone call. Marik had tuned him out mostly, too afraid to listen to him, and began counting in his head to try and stop the memories of his past from flooding his mind. Bakura noticed Marik's strange behaviour, and gave him a glare. "Man up, will you? And for the record, I was just saying that to get her off my ass. Don't start thinking that we're best buddies now like you and that fluff ball." Marik was still too distracted by his panic attack to notice what Bakura had said, and the albino took note of Marik's lack of reaction. Rather than patting Marik on the back as he had done before, he pushed Marik off the sofa and stood up, towering over the dazed and confused blonde with a pissed off look.

"What the fuck is your problem Marik? You turn into a crybaby over every little thing, and you start sniffling the second I look away. It's a good thing your family isn't here to see you crying on the floor like the coward you are." Each word felt like an arrow in Marik's heart, and he tried his best to pull himself off the floor and sit up. He looked up at Bakura, but was met instead with the note left by his siblings, dangling in Bakura's hand. "Is this it huh? Why you've got no bollocks? Cause your dad's too busy dealing with lawyers to beat some fucking sense into you?"

Marik's eyes widened as he gasped, completely frozen from Bakura's words. The albino's mouth continued to move, but Marik couldn't hear a single word from him. Instead his vision began to blur and darken, his head became dizzy and foggy, and all the painful memories he had locked away came flooding back. He looked around, realising that he was now lying down on the floor, and he felt a sting on the back of his head as he hit the ground. He looked up, too dazed to understand what was happening anymore, and watched as Bakura knelt down next to him and began shaking him. He smiled for a moment, forgetting all the events that had happened today as he stared at his crush, before blacking out and shutting his eyes.

* * *

 _The front door opened and a tall, bronzed man stumbled in, barely closing the door behind him. His shirt was covered in vomit and his body reeked of alcohol, though he didn't seem to notice it. Rishid, Ishizu and Marik all sat quietly on the floor mats, curled up side by side, tired from their long day of chores. Their father had been out drinking again all night, which meant that he had most likely spent all their money on booze instead of food. Marik's stomach began to growl at him, desperate for any scrap of food he could find, but instead the small boy shuffled around, trying his best to stop the noise. His father stumbled towards them, staring at them with confused and agitated eyes, and grabbed Marik by the scruff of his shirt. He lifted the boy in the air, still holding a beer bottle in the other, and placed his ear to the boy's stomach. Marik grabbed desperately at his father's hand, struggling as he dangled off the ground, before his father dropped him without warning, causing Marik to fall and injure his leg. He cried out instinctively, but quickly covered his mouth, hoping that his father was too drunk to notice the noise._

 _Unfortunately his father had heard, and swung his leg at the child, kicking Marik in the side. Ishizu and Rishid gasped as they watched their father beat Marik, though they were not surprised. They had been treated poorly from birth, and beatings were a regular occurrence. Their father would get drunk and beat them for anything he didn't like, whether it be their growling stomachs, insufficient house work or just because he felt angry. There was no rhyme or reason to his actions, and instead the children begged that their father would come home too drunk to beat them or too distracted to care about them. Even if it were their father's fault, such as wasting their food money on cheap alcohol, it didn't matter. He was strong, they were weak, life was unfair._

 _After getting a few good kicks in while mumbling some nonsense, and listening to Marik's muffled screaming, his father chugged the rest of his bottle and stumbled away to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. The three of them waited, listening for any sounds coming from beyond the door. After a few bumps and the shattering of a bottle, they heard their father fall onto his bed and begin snoring a few moments later, and Ishizu and Rishid jumped to Marik's aid. Although they had no money for medical supplies, Ishizu had managed to become quite handy, and began treating Marik's wounds. A kick to the face had left Marik's lip bloody, and Ishizu began wiping off the blood with a make-shift rag. Rishid stared at Marik, defeated that he had been forced to watch, but Marik shook his head and held his brother's hand. "Don't worry...be glad he didn't do as much as usual," Marik coughed, his voice weak and trembling. Once they had bandaged Marik up and managed to get him sitting upright once more, the three of them held each other and sat on the floor, staring out of their window. They were forbidden from leaving their house, but still found joy in watching the window at night as the Egyptian sky filled with wondrous stars. "Someday we'll get out Marik," Ishizu whispered softly, almost motherly. "We just have to keep holding on...together."_

 _Despite his pain and injuries, Marik gave her a smile, and held his siblings a little closer. The thought of making it out into the real world, the thought of being free from a life of imprisonment, and the thought of being able to control his own life gave him hope that it would all be over soon. "Yeah...together sounds nice."_

* * *

As Marik came to, he began looking around, still groggy and dazed. The back of his head stung and he now had a terrible headache, but apart from that he seemed alright. He sat up, realising that he was now in his bed, and tried his best to remember what happened. He replayed the memories of Bakura coming over, watching the horror movie, and the phone conversation. He was still too shaken to fully remember the details, but was awake enough to realise what had happened before he passed out. His hearing returned to him, and he heard the faint sound of a tap running in the bathroom. Marik tried his best to sit up and pull himself from his bed, but his arms quickly failed him and he fell back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, thinking about what had happened before between him and Bakura, and his lip began to quiver. He thought about Bakura falling on him, their shouting match, the note. Today had been an emotional rollercoaster, and Marik couldn't help but tear up once more. His crush despised him now and Marik's social life would most likely be over by next Monday, with no hopeful ending in sight. His ears perked up and he heard footsteps moving closer, causing his stomach to sink a little. Marik wanted to open his eyes and look up at the person entering his room, but instead kept them shut, desperate to pretend that it was all over.

He lay still, pretending to be asleep like he had done so many times before with his father, and felt as a wet cloth was draped over his forehead. The cool cloth soothed his aching headache, and Marik felt a wave of relief wash over his body. Bakura mumbled something to himself as he sat down on Marik's bed, careful not to disturb the blonde. Marik would normally have ruined the illusion by breaking into a smile, but with all that had happened it was impossible for him to show any kind of happy emotion right now, especially to Bakura. He heard Bakura lean over towards him, and felt his fingertips wiping Marik's tears away from his eyes. His fingers were delicate and soft, surprising considering how often Bakura got into fist fights, and they had a certain warmth to them that reminded him of when Ishizu used to comfort him.

"Honestly...why'd I have to get this close to you?" Bakura whispered. Marik could barely hear the albino's words, and he felt a familiar sadness as he listened to what Bakura said about him while he slept, but tried his best to not give away the fact that he was awake. "I promised to never get close to anyone after what happened, but you're making me go crazy..."

Marik perked up at Bakura's words, and tried his best to listen to what the albino was saying, confused to what he meant. What did he mean going crazy? What had happened that caused Bakura to become so distant? Marik desperately wanted to reach up and hold Bakura, and to get the answers he wanted, but remained still, listening curiously.

"After this whole school thing is done, I have to make sure that things go back to the way they were. I can't let this continue anymore."

Marik felt himself jump slightly as Bakura stood up from the bed and walked over to his desk. He heard a pen click and some scribbling, before Bakura made his way out of the room and shut the door behind him. Marik listened as Bakura walked down the hall, waiting until he could no longer hear his footsteps, before jumping up in bed and opening his eyes. His bedside light was turned on the dimmest setting, and a small sticky note sat on his desk with a pen beside it. Carefully, Marik slipped out of his bed and walked over, reading the note out loud in a hushed voice as he placed his wet cloth down. "Marik, going to have a bath. Dinner is on the dining table," he whispered. It was difficult to tell with the storm going on outside, but Marik could definitely hear running water coming from the bathroom next door. He looked over at his phone, surprised to see that it was so late, and began making his way downstairs.

The blonde carefully tiptoed as he walked past the bathroom and downstairs. He heard the tap spraying water out into the bath, and the crumpling of clothes, causing Marik to blush. The thought of Bakura stripping down for a bath in his house made Marik's stomach go crazy, but he tried his best to push it out of his mind. As he reached downstairs he had noticed that Bakura had attempted to tidy up somewhat. The lights were on and the snacks from the movie were gone, and a steaming bowl of soup and a glass of water sat on the dining room table instead. Marik walked over and sat down, picking up the spoon and examining the soup. It appeared to be one of the tinned kinds, and Marik scooped up a spoonful, making sure not to spill it. It felt like a dream now to have Bakura taking care of him and cooking for him, and as he placed the spoonful in his mouth he made sure to savour every bit of it.

His eyes widened, and he forced himself to swallow the soup, shivering as he did so. Bakura had put too much salt and pepper in the soup, and it tasted like his mouth was on fire. He picked up the water and began drinking it, filling him with relief as it cooled his tongue and mouth. He knew that Bakura hadn't been going well with the school's cooking classes, but he didn't expect it to be this bad. Still, this was most likely the only chance for Marik to taste Bakura's cooking. With the way things were going he was likely to be in a body bag by the start of the week, and so he slurped up another spoonful, shivering with disgust as he did so. He tried his best to take it in small amounts, but the salty flavour was too much, and instead he picked up the bowl and began swallowing it as fast as he could. It felt like an eternity as he forced himself to drink the soup, trying his best to avoid getting any on his taste buds, but finally he had managed to gulp down the last of it. He slammed the bowl down and grabbed the water, gulping it down desperately like a dehydrated fish. His stomach was cursing him for forcing the disgusting concoction down, but his heart fluttered knowing that he had eaten Bakura's home cooking, something he was most likely never get a chance to do again.

Once he had finished his meal and had a bit more energy, Marik began checking for the status of the storm. His phone had barely any reception and the television still crackled with static as he flipped through the channels, so he simply turned it off and tossed the remote on the table. He sat down on the sofa, relaxing and thinking about the events that had occurred. He felt angry knowing that the two albinos were hiding secrets from him, and he felt joy knowing that Bakura had come to his house and even cooked for him, but most of all he felt sadness and regret over what he had done and said. He smacked himself mentally, cursing as he did so, and began whispering to himself. "I'm such an idiot. I should have just watched the movie. I shouldn't have yelled at him. And after all that he still tried to take care of me..."

He looked up at the coffee table, which was now void of any snacks, and noticed that Bakura had placed the note left by his siblings on the table. What he had said still stung, even if Bakura didn't fully realise what Marik's family situation was like. He wanted to cry at what the albino had said and done to him, but forbid himself from appearing weak again. He heard a door open from upstairs and looked behind him, watching as Bakura descended the stairs and walked towards the sofa. Bakura paused for a moment when he caught sight of Marik, a look of surprise on his face. He turned his head away, but continued towards the sofa, sitting opposite Marik. He wore the same wet clothes as before, but his hair was wet and fluffy, with small drops of water falling from his wild strands as he rubbed his hair with a towel. Marik couldn't help but blush a little, but tried his best to act normal. "U-Um...you can borrow some pyjamas if you like."

Bakura didn't say a word, and instead gave Marik a small nod, still making sure to look away. His cheeks were faintly red, but while it made Marik's stomach do backflips, he slapped himself again mentally. "It's probably just from the hot bath," he whispered in his mind, trying not to get his hopes up. He jumped up from the couch and walked back to his room, searching his wardrobe for some clothes. He let out a small squeal, shocked and excited that Bakura would actually be wearing his clothes, but once again tried his best to hide it. He wanted desperately to be happy about tonight, but the day's events made that seem impossible now.

Marik picked out some light grey pyjamas and made his way back downstairs, noticing that Bakura was still sitting on the couch. He handed them over to the albino carefully, and Bakura grabbed them gently, much to Marik's surprise. He expected Bakura to be angry at him or snatch them away, but he seemed much calmer and gentler. "Sorry if they're a little small...I hope it's alright," he squeaked, still cautious about Bakura. Bakura stood up and began walking back to the stairs, carrying the pyjamas with him. "...Thanks," he mumbled, walking up towards the bathroom. Marik's heart fluttered once again, and he looked around for something to do. The empty bowl and cup still sat on the dining room table, and he tidied them up and walked into the kitchen to wash them.

Marik almost dropped the bowl when he entered the kitchen, shocked at the state of it. Bakura had left all the cupboards opened with the contents strewn about, and had placed several pots in the sink, all dirty. A small dent appeared in the wall, most likely from Bakura's phone call, and various kitchen supplies and equipment littered the countertops. It looked almost as if the storm had passed through the kitchen, and Marik slowly placed the bowl and cup next to the sink, still trying to process his shock. Bakura came down the stairs once more and made his way into the kitchen, standing next to Marik. He coughed slightly, trying to grab the blonde's attention, making Marik jump as he looked up at the taller boy. "I, uh...was the soup okay?" Bakura asked, his face still pink. The pyjamas suited him well, although they seemed a little small considering Bakura was taller than Marik. Marik felt another flutter in his heart, and turned his attention back to the kitchen to distract himself.

"Y-Yes, thank you for making it for me..." he replied, looking around the kitchen. Bakura noticed Marik's reaction to the kitchen, and scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry about the mess..." he mumbled, but Marik gave him a small smile. "It's alright, I can clean up later," he said, trying his best to reassure Bakura. He noticed the salt and pepper shakers sitting on the counter, and gave them a curious look. "By the way...how much salt and pepper did you put in the soup?" Marik asked, picking them up and putting them in the correct cupboard. "Just a teaspoon of each, I didn't want to make it too strong," Bakura said nonchalantly, surprising Marik. He could hear his stomach cursing him once again, but couldn't help as a small grin broke out on his face. "For a second I thought you had pranked me! You're only meant to use a pinch," Marik said, giggling at Bakura's actions. The albino's cheeks turned a little more red, and he looked over at the bowl, noticing that it was completely empty. For a second Bakura smiled too as he looked into Marik's eyes, but the moment was quickly over as he caught himself and looked away, scratching his head again.

"I hope you didn't mind me taking a bath, I just wanted to get out of those wet clothes, you know?" he said, trying to make conversation as he made his way to the sofa. "Oh, don't worry, it's fine," Marik replied, following him like a lovesick puppy. With the way things were going currently, Marik had once again gotten his hopes up, and his heart beat with a familiar warmth. The two sat down on the sofa, and Marik noticed that Bakura had sat a little closer than before, which made his heart race even more. Bakura's hair was still dripping wet despite his attempts to dry it, and so Marik reached out and grabbed the towel, startling Bakura a little. "Here, let me help," he said, grabbing the towel and rubbing Bakura's head with it. The albino was a little surprised at first, but let Marik dry his hair, remaining silent as the blonde tried his best to wipe the water away. Marik was still afraid of Bakura, and hadn't forgotten what the teen had done to him, but he was more hopeful now that he could repair their relationship. Bakura had comforted him, made him soup and was letting Marik take care of him. It had to say something about their relationship, and Marik took a chance by trying to patch things up.

Once Marik had dried Bakura's hair as best he could, he placed the towel on the coffee table and gave Bakura a smile. "Thanks," Bakura mumbled, crossing his legs and running his fingers through his hair. His face was still a light pink, but he seemed much more comfortable around Marik, and began looking him in the eye more. "So I, uh..." Bakura's words trailed off, and he looked down at his hands, trying to distract himself. Marik picked up on his embarrassment and placed a hand on Bakura's shoulder, as if to reassure him. The albino looked up again and smiled, but quickly wiped it off his face. "I just wanted to say that..."

Bakura's words trailed off again, and he grabbed his head, struggling to get the words out. "Fuck, why does it have to sound so gay?" he muttered to himself, barely loud enough for Marik to hear him. He gave a deep sigh and then grabbed Marik's shoulders, looking him in the eye. Marik jumped a little in surprise, and watched Bakura's eyes as the colours began to swirl again, only this time it was a mixture of the regular hazel and a light beige colour. "I'm...sorry, alright?" he whispered, trying his best to keep calm. "For, y'know, making you pass out and stuff..."

Marik blinked, still surprised about Bakura's apology, before breaking out into a smile. Ryou had insisted that Bakura was a jerk of the highest degree, that he was someone incapable of empathy or kindness. And yet here he was, apologising sincerely to Marik. Bakura let go of Marik's shoulders and covered his face with his hand, looking away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry too, for all the stuff I said...and for being a wimp," Marik replied, giving Bakura an empathetic smile. The albino reached out and gave Marik a light punch in the shoulder, then giggled softly. "You idiot...you don't have to apologise for that."

Marik couldn't help but laugh and smile, which in turn made Bakura laugh as well. The two sat on the sofa giggling, before pausing and realising what they had done. Both of them looked away, shy and embarrassed that they had acted so friendly, but still smiling. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, before Marik broke the silence, speaking with newfound confidence. "If...If it's alright with you, I'd like to watch the movie again," he said, picking up the remote.

"I thought you were too afraid to," Bakura replied, giving him a playful and sly grin. Marik gave out a small laugh as he flicked the TV onto the correct input, and returned the sly grin. "Yeah, well, keep the lights on this time." Bakura laughed and shook his head, watching as Marik resumed the movie. "Finally, you do have a pair," he exclaimed.

"Oh, wait," Marik said, jumping up from the sofa. He raced into the kitchen and walked back with the snacks from before, placing them down onto the table. Bakura opened his mouth to say something, but Marik walked off again and opened up a small closet by the office area and stairs. Inside were typical cleaning supplies and a vacuum cleaner, as well as some linen. Marik reached into the closet and pulled out two thick blankets, before walking over to the sofa and handing one to Bakura. "If I'm gonna watch this with you, I gotta do it the right way," Marik said gleefully, wrapping the blanket around himself and planting himself on the sofa. Bakura giggled a little and wrapped his blanket around him, getting comfortable on the sofa. The outside storm added to the eerie atmosphere, and Marik braced himself as he pressed the button on the remote and resumed the movie.

Bakura continued to laugh at the horrific scenes in the movie, totally unfazed by the gore and horror, and Marik sat curled up in his blanket, hiding occasionally when it got too scary. The lights had helped calm his nerves, but he was still quite afraid as he watched the group of survivors getting ripped apart by zombies, and shivered as he tried his best to watch. A jump scare popped out again, and Marik squealed into his blanket, trying to muffle himself. Bakura looked over at him and thought for a moment, then reached out and pulled Marik closer to him, much to Marik's surprise. The blonde now sat by Bakura's side, leaning on the albino's shoulder, and his stomach began to fill with butterflies. He looked up, surprised by the sudden change of heart, and noticed Bakura blushing a little more. Bakura noticed Marik staring at him, and tried his best to hide his face with his blanket. "Come on, watch the movie," he whispered with embarrassment, his cheeks turning a little redder. Marik couldn't help but giggle and close his eyes, enjoying the turn of events.

He took a deep breath, inhaling Bakura's scent as he continued watching the movie. His scent reminded him of fresh cookies, with a hint of vanilla. It seemed almost unreal that Bakura was the school's bully, considering how kind and soft he could be. The more Marik inhaled, the more addicted he became to the scent, and it relaxed him as he watched the TV, making his heart flutter. He felt as if he were floating on air, and after a good couple of hours into the movie he had finally fallen asleep on Bakura's shoulder, completely at peace.

* * *

Bakura looked down every so often, checking to see whether Marik was still awake and watching the movie. He looked down again for the dozenth time and noticed that Marik's eyes had completely shut, and that his breathing had slowed. He waved his hand carefully in front of Marik's face, double checking to make sure that the smaller boy was actually sleeping. Once he was sure that Marik was finally asleep, he turned his head away from the movie and stared deeply at him. He looked so innocent as he slept, and his hair was soft and light, almost like a puppy's. Bakura could feel his cheeks heating up and felt his eyes mixing colours again, but this time he gave in and let them turn lighter, unable to hold back his feelings anymore. He wrapped his arm around Marik, pulling the shorter boy even closer to him, and buried his nose into his hair. There was something exotic about the scent that Bakura couldn't quite put his finger on, but there was definitely a hint of chocolate and strawberries. With each breath Bakura felt his emotions taking over more and more, and he had to pull himself away before he went too far, much to his disappointment. He smiled softly at Marik, but as he reflected on his emotions it was replaced with a sad and despondent frown.

"Dammit...I don't know if I can go back to the way things were before..."


	7. Chapter 7: Hidden Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

By the time Marik had roused himself from his slumber it was late in the morning, and he stretched as he relished his Sunday morning sleep in. A mild sunlight drifted through his curtains, warming his body with a delicate heat. Marik pulled himself from his bed slowly and began his morning routine of dressing and beautifying himself. He went to undress himself and apply his kohl, but paused when he realised he wasn't in his pyjamas, and that his kohl was still on his face. It took the blonde a moment for his memories to return to him, but he felt his heart stop when he remembered the events of the previous day. The almost kiss, the fight, the movie. He remembered falling asleep on Bakura's shoulder, and immediately his face began to redden. "If I fell asleep on the sofa, and woke up in my bed, then that must mean..."

Marik rushed to dress himself and raced out of the bedroom. He couldn't believe that he had allowed himself to fall asleep like that, and panic grew in his mind as he wondered about what had happened afterwards. Bakura must have carried Marik to his bedroom, but then what? Did he go through Marik's house? Did he walk home in the dead of the night? Marik slid down the hallway and practically jumped down the stairs, landing with a soft thud as he raced into the living room to look for clues as to what happened. He glanced over at the kitchen, which was still messy and filled with dirty pots and pans, but nonetheless unchanged. The TV and coffee table were also the same, with the snack foods still in their bowls, albeit partially eaten. He looked around the room for any signs of Bakura, when a flash of white caught his eye, and he swirled his head around to look at the sofa.

On Marik's couch lay Bakura, wearing Marik's slightly too small pyjamas, with snowy bed hair and a blanket half hanging off him. He was sprawled out with his arms next to his head and one leg dangling off of the sofa, and his facial expression was calm and relaxed. No longer did he look like a tough thug straight out of a gang, but instead a peaceful angel, and Marik almost mistook him for Ryou. His heart began to race as he leaned down closer to Bakura, taking in his features. He looked almost like a doll with his pearly white skin and his silky rose-tinted lips, though his jaw and nose were more handsome than cute. Normally he looked so rough and agitated, but now he was asleep on Marik's couch, completely helpless and fragile. A thought crossed Marik's mind, and his imagination went wild. He began daydreaming of leaning down and capturing those lips for himself, gently at first, until his desperation took over and deepened the kiss. And his body, how good it would feel to wrap his arms around his delicate waist and entwine their fingers, or even cup Bakura's…

"What the hell am I thinking?!" Marik shouted at himself mentally, leaping back from Bakura. He felt his lower body beginning to react to his mischievous thoughts, and rushed into the kitchen to escape, praying that his 'reaction' would soon disappear. The sight of the food in the cabinets caused Marik's stomach to growl, and he winced as he began searching for something to eat. Cooking or microwaving would be too loud and would most likely wake Bakura before he intended, so Marik opted for a safer option. He opened the fridge as gently as possible as he pulled out some orange juice and milk, then grabbed a couple glasses. He tiptoed over to the dining table and set the drinks down, then returned to grab some spoons, bowls and cereal. Once he had set up the table and tidied away the snacks on the table, taking care not to disturb Bakura, he approached the sofa once more and knelt down. As nervous as Marik was about waking his crush, it was almost midday and Bakura's parents would probably be worried about him. It took all of Marik's willpower not to reach over and wake Bakura up with delicate kisses or by stroking his cheek, but that seemed impossible. Instead he grabbed onto Bakura's shoulders, taking care not to grab too intently, and shook the albino mildly. "Bakura..." Marik whispered, rocking his body back and forth carefully. Within a few moments Bakura's eyes fluttered open, and as he began regaining his senses he looked up at Marik with a tired expression. "Marik…" he whispered back, still not fully awake or aware of his situation, as his soft cocoa eyes stared longingly into the blonde's lilac ones.

Bakura blinked a couple times before finally realising what was going on, and he shot up from the sofa in surprise, almost head-butting Marik in the process. "U-Um, good morning," Marik said meekly, watching as Bakura looked around the room. "I'm sorry for falling asleep last night, I should have offered you a bed." Bakura turned to him and scratched his head, resuming his typical grumpy frown. "It's fine," he replied, stretching and walking over to the dining table as Marik followed him. The two sat down and began eating, with Marik closely watching Bakura as he brought the cereal to his mouth. Bakura began tapping at his phone, and groaned as his phone began to buzz at him. "You'd think she wouldn't bother calling after I told her I'd be out, but 12 missed calls says otherwise," Bakura mumbled, earning a small smile from Marik. He glanced up at Marik and saw him giggle, but held his tongue, which Marik noticed. "Perhaps he's getting used to me," Marik wondered, happily chewing on his breakfast.

"What do you plan on doing today?" Bakura asked casually, causing Marik to perk up. "Well, normally I just spend some time with my family or study, and sometimes I'll hang out with Ryou," he replied with a small smile. Bakura didn't react or look up at Marik, but continued talking to him. "Are you gonna go hang out with him today then?" he asked, still staring deeply into his cereal bowl. Marik paused for a moment, considering how Ryou had been ignoring him, before answering. "I don't know if he wants to right now...but I think I'll try talking to him soon. I want to try to patch things up with him." Bakura maintained a disinterested look, but for a moment Marik caught another emotion on his face. Hurt? Envy? "No, Bakura wouldn't feel that way about Ryou," Marik whispered in his mind, shaking the thought away. "Unless...maybe it's to do with all these secrets?"

Bakura lifted the final spoonful to his mouth and finished off the rest of his juice, letting his spoon drop back into the small pool of milk with a satisfying clatter. "I'll be getting dressed now," he announced in a monotone voice, walking up the stairs and into the bathroom. Marik continued to eat, sighing as he did so, thinking once more about Bakura. Everything that the albino did made him want to sigh with yearning, and his heart seemed to be in a constant state of puppy love. He took the dirty dishes to the kitchen and began tidying up, thinking about what he had said earlier. Ryou hadn't contacted him, but the silence had gone on long enough, and Marik missed his friend. Ishizu and Rishid had given Marik some money for the weekend, so he made a plan in his mind to go visit Ryou and make things up to him.

Marik's scheming was interrupted when Bakura walked into the kitchen, coughing to announce his presence. Marik spun around from his cleaning and looked at Bakura dressed in his old clothes, his bag slung over his shoulder. "I'm gonna get going, I have business to attend to," Bakura exclaimed, brushing his hair with his fingers. He took a few steps closer to Marik with an irritated and annoyed expression on his face, as if to say 'I'm warning you', but all Marik could think about was how Bakura's face had looked while he was asleep instead. "If I hear one word about this at school," Bakura spat, grabbing Marik's shirt suddenly. "Then just remember, I know where you live now. Understand?"

Marik nodded slowly, still shocked from how rough Bakura had turned suddenly. Bakura let go and began walking to the front door, walking out without looking back. "See ya," he shouted, slamming the door behind him as he left. For a moment Marik let the silence hang in the air, watching through the window as Bakura walked down the street and away from his house, before squealing out loud and wrapping his arms around himself. Despite all the fighting, despite all the hurtful things he had said, despite everything that went wrong, Marik couldn't help but remain infatuated with Bakura. He ran up the stairs and collected the pyjamas that Bakura had worn, and held them tightly as he walked back to his bedroom with them, placing them back in his wardrobe. "I should really wash them, but it would be a waste after one use...I'll just wear them tonight and wash them tomorrow." Deep down Marik knew he was just making excuses to wear the same clothing as Bakura, but tried not to focus on that and instead resumed his cleaning.

Once he had tidied up his bedroom and the kitchen, Marik sat down on the sofa and began thinking of what he could do about Ryou. Normally if they had a fight or misunderstanding they were talking again within a few days, as if nothing had happened, but Marik got the feeling that it wouldn't be possible this time to just gloss over it. "What Bakura said was probably right...if Ryou is hiding something from me, I have to trust him...he's known me since we were kids, his parent's think I'm practically family. I just have to give him some space and let him tell me when he's ready," Marik told himself. An idea popped into his head, and he quickly gathered his shopping bag and house keys. "Alright, I gotta get down to the store and make things right again!" Marik looked around the room one more time, making sure that he hadn't forgotten anything, when a familiar plastic case caught his eye. "Isn't that...Bakura's DVD?"

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by fairly quickly, seeing how Marik now had something to do. He had spent the afternoon shopping and cooking, and had finally finished cooking Ryou a mint and vanilla roll cake. Although he doubted his cooking skills somewhat, Marik had tried his best to follow the instructions on the recipe, and had packed it ready for school. Bakura hadn't texted Marik since he had left, and Marik was too nervous to message him about the DVD, so he planned to slip it back in his bag at school. After spending the rest of his time studying and watching TV, Marik put on the pyjamas Bakura had worn, resting as he took in the albino's scent, reminding him of how he had fallen asleep on Bakura's shoulder.

Monday morning had gone by like a breeze as well, and Marik sat impatiently at his desk, waiting for the bell to ring so that he could speak to Ryou. The shorter boy sat just a few seats away from Marik, but he was quick when he wanted to be, so Marik had to hurry to catch him before he could slip away again. He watched the clock silently, his heart beat almost syncing up to the ticking noise, counting down until the bell rang. The metallic ringing filled his ears, and he leapt from his seat and towards Ryou's desk, carrying his bag with him. "Hey," he said, greeting the smaller boy and causing him to jump. "Oh Marik, you scared me there," he said with a small awkward chuckle. "Hey so, would you like to come up to the roof with me?" Marik asked, smiling with a small wink. Ryou looked torn on what to say, obviously still conflicted about their fight, but gave Marik a nod and followed him as they walked up to the roof. The two walked in silence, with Ryou too afraid to talk and Marik thinking about what he was going to say.

Before long they had arrived on top of the school building, with the wind gently blowing through their hair, and the two sat side by side near the stairs. Ryou began to pull out his lunchbox, but Marik interrupted him by holding out a small cake box. "Hey so, uh...I wanted to apologise to you. I understand if there's something you don't want to tell me, so I won't ask anymore. Can we please put it behind us and be friends again?" he asked, handing Ryou the cake. Ryou's face lit up and he gave Marik a big hug, being careful not to squish the cake box in-between them. Ryou's embrace was gentle and delicate, and the soft scent of cinnamon drifted from his hair and clothing. He gave a small chuckle as he pulled away and wiped his eyes, as if he were tearing up. "Hey, what's wrong, did I say something bad?" Marik asked, reaching out worriedly. "No, no...I'm just really great that I have a friend like you Marik," Ryou replied, giving him a reassuring but somewhat sad smile. "Ah, so let's see what you made me," he said, taking the box from Marik's hands and opening it up.

Ryou's face lit up with excitement, replacing any trace of sadness that had lingered previously, and he quickly dug around in his bag for some utensils. "Marik, you big puppy dog! Why'd you have to go out of your way to make my favourite cake?" he asked, laughing warmly as he pulled out a fork and broke a piece off. "Well, it seemed important to you, so I wanted to apologise sincerely," he answered, his nerves beginning to calm now that Ryou was talking to him again. Ryou's smile faltered for a moment, and he put the cake down before he could eat any. He looked down at the ground, conflicted about something, and played with a strand of his hair.

"It...it's not you Marik. It's not that I want to hide anything from you. It's just something really...personal. I don't want you getting hurt." Ryou's words were barely audible as he mumbled, but Marik gave him a gentle slap on the back and smiled, startling the smaller albino boy. "Ryou, I already told you, it's alright. If you promise that it's for the best, then I trust you. After all you're my best friend!"

Ryou's face lit up once again, and he grabbed the fork once more. "Well, alright then!" Ryou cheered, stuffing the cake into his mouth triumphantly. "Let's celebrate!"

* * *

The break period had ended all too quickly, especially with Marik and Ryou having so much fun now that they were speaking again. Marik had managed to catch up with his school work and was feeling much better since Saturday, but something still bothered him. Bakura hadn't shown up to school, and every now and then it would tug at Marik's mind, causing him to lose focus. Was he simply skipping school for fun? Or was there a reason for his disappearance? Was it to do with the gang rumours, or was it to do with Marik? Although it was annoying and distracting, Marik almost felt lonely without Bakura kicking his chair or throwing paper at him. The feeling was quickly gone as Marik shook it from his mind, trying his best to concentrate. Sure, they had met up and become much closer than they were before, but they were by no means friends. Bakura had his own life, and being clingy could be dangerous.

The school bell rung interrupting Marik's thoughts, and he looked up to see everyone filling out of the classroom. Ryou bounced over to Marik, particularly happy to be talking again, and held up his wallet. "Now that schools over, want to go grab something to eat?" he asked, expectantly waiting. Marik laughed and packed up his things, following the shorter boy as he bounced out of the room impatiently. "Sure thing, but you're paying!" he joked, and the two of them began to laugh as they filed out of the school. The air seemed carefree between them now, and Ryou chatted to Marik as they made their way down to the shops. "What shall we buy today Marik?" he asked, checking his wallet for how much change he had. "It might be nice to just buy a whole bunch of sweets and hang out at your place tonight."

"You're always looking for an excuse to feed your sweet tooth, aren't you?" Marik replied, and Ryou gave him a mischievous grin. "I have no clue what you're talking about!" he responded with a sly and playful smile. "Besides, today feels like a good day, so it would be nice to have some sweets. And then we can eat them with the rest of your cake!" They laughed and turned a corner, making their way to the sweet shop just ahead of them. "So Marik, did you get up to anything on the weekend?" he asked innocently, causing Marik's happy expression to falter for a second. He didn't like to keep secrets, but in this case he was being forced to, lest Bakura make an unexpected visit to his house. "Well, apart from cooking and studying, my siblings went out for a bit, so I had the house all to myself!" Marik replied, trying his best to appear cheerful, which Ryou seemed to believe. "You were all by yourself for the weekend? You dummy, you should have invited me over, that way I could've got my cake earlier!" Marik laughed and rustled Ryou's hair, giggling as the albino swatted his hand away and fixed his snowy locks. "Ryou, you've got a real one track mind!" he replied as the two of them turned and entered the sweet shop, looking around excitedly.

The sweet shop was a quiet and somewhat old shop, with a small man running it. Typically they sold classical sweets like gumdrops, taffy and fudge, but occasionally the owner would purchase some more expensive or complex items, like candy making kits or imported lollies. Marik and Ryou waved to the man as they walked up to the counter, and a grin crept onto his wrinkled face. "Well now, I haven't seen you boys in a while! Still got that sweet tooth Ryou?" he asked, chuckling as the two of them began chatting. Marik slipped to the front of the store and began looking at all the new stock, figuring out what to buy. It had been getting cold recently since it was December, but ice cream was still on Marik's mind, and he looked at the freezer trying to decide what flavour to get. "Maybe I should go for a classic, or something different for a change..." he mumbled to himself. "Strawberry, cookies and cream, honeycomb...so many choices!"

Halfway through deciding what to buy shouting started outside the store, and all three of them looked up to see what it was. On the opposite side of the street a couple of high schoolers had begun making noise and messing around, poking out from a small alleyway. Marik and Ryou resumed their browsing, but the old man sighed in frustration at the noise. "Those kids these days, I've got no clue what to do about them. They're always hanging out across the street and making noise, and it's driving my customers away."

"Don't worry sir, I'll make sure to come by everyday," Ryou said with a laugh, making the old man smile again. Marik continued focusing on his highly important ice cream decision, until a familiar British accent made his ears perk up. The teens outside had gotten quiet loud, but Marik was certain that Bakura's voice was among them. He peeked his head outside the door, watching from across the street, and sure enough the tall white-haired teen stood in the alley, laughing with a couple others. "Ah, the DVD!" Marik whispered as he remembered, pulling it out from his school bag. Ryou saw the DVD from the corner of his eye and quickly walked over, placing his hand on Marik's shoulder and grabbing his attention. "What are you doing Marik?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "Oh, Bakura brought-" Marik's words were cut of by the memory of Bakura's warning, and he quickly changed his tone. "I mean, Bakura loaned me his DVD...for the assignment! And since he wasn't at school, I should probably return it now." Ryou's expression became increasingly worried, and he gently pulled on Marik's arm to try and lure him away. "Marik...I don't think that's a good idea. Just do it another time."

Marik knew Ryou was right. Bakura was with a couple other people and out of uniform, so he probably wouldn't take Marik's appearance well. Not to mention that if he pissed off Bakura publicly, he might get in trouble with Bakura's supposed gang. Despite all of this, however, Marik was too enamoured with the thought of seeing Bakura again, and he pulled his arm away from Ryou and began jogging over to the alleyway. "Don't worry it'll only take a second!" he shouted back, running across the street and toward Bakura. "Marik!" Ryou shouted, but it was too late. Bakura was already in Marik's vision and his feet refused to stop, motivated by the wistful feelings in his heart. As he rushed towards Bakura, all the memories of their weekend rushed back to him. He thought back to how they had laid down on the sofa together, or how Bakura had borrowed Marik's clothing, or the soft vanilla scent from his hair. He still held some willpower and used it to stop a large grin from appearing on his face, but the rest of his body was focused on getting as close to Bakura as possible. He held the DVD out, ready to hand it back, when he finally reached the alley and saw the other people Bakura was with. Bakura's eyes trailed to the blonde before going wide, both of them in complete shock.

"Marik!" Ryou screamed.

An unfamiliar fear struck Marik, making his blood go cold and freezing time in place. A sharp pain shot through his head and body, almost as if he were hit with lightning, and his heart and lungs stopped momentarily. His mind scrambled, being hit with memory after memory, as he stared into a familiar set of amethyst eyes, too stunned to pull himself away. The DVD tumbled out of his hands and onto the pavement, but Marik's senses were too numb to notice or even hear it. His hearing completely blocked out, and Ryou's screams turned to silence as Marik focused fully on the person in front of him.

The boy seemed about the same age as Marik, though much taller and more mature looking. His blonde hair was spiked up similar to Yami's, but with the same fringe as Marik, and it appeared to be somewhat longer and wilder. He wore the same type of kohl around his lilac eyes, as well as the same golden jewellery on his tan Egyptian skin. Even his clothing, a black tank top and beige pants, was somewhat familiar despite it's simplicity. Marik's mind began to flood, and forgotten memories of his father and his childhood resurfaced, blurring his vision. A second later a name appeared in Marik's mind, releasing all the memories that Marik had buried deep down, and although he could not hear it the name slipped past Marik's lips.

"Malik..."

The moment he had spotted Malik had lasted an eternity, but time quickly sped up and everything began racing around Marik. Ryou grabbed Marik and pulled him away, dragging him as fast as he could down the street. Marik's legs failed him and he could barely run, but Ryou managed to drag him away as best he could, supporting Marik with his shoulder as he did so. Bakura shouted after them but gave no chase, and Malik stepped out next to him, reaching out to Marik with his hand. Bakura grabbed him and held him back, but Malik continued fighting, calling out Marik's name as he did so. A fight began to break out as Bakura pushed Malik back, who in turn threw a punch at the albino. Marik was spun around by Ryou as they hobbled down the street as fast as they could, though Malik's face was still burnt into his mind. Ryou pulled out his phone and began speaking, but Marik couldn't make out what he was saying or who he was talking to. A static filled Marik's ears and the world began to spin, but Ryou refused to let Marik fall over. The turned a couple more streets, though Marik had lost track of where they were, and soon Ishizu and Rishid ran out, picking Marik up from Ryou's shoulder. Rishid cradled him in his arms and tears began falling down Marik's cheeks, though he couldn't figure out why. Ishizu grasped his face in her hands and spoke to him, but he was too overwhelmed to understand exactly what she had said. Her panicked expression filled his vision, and for a moment Marik began to hear her voice, but a sudden sharp pain filled his body and he blacked out, going limp in his brother's arms.

"Ma...lik..."

* * *

 _Marik sat with his sister in the living room, listening to his father's shouting. Rishid had entered their father's bedroom to speak with him about the ritual, but whatever he had said had clearly angered their drunk father, and they winced as they heard glass bottles shattering. Ishizu went to stand up, but Marik was quick to grab her arm and pull her back. She gave him a look of disappointment, but also understanding. It was not that Marik had pulled her back because he wanted to, but rather for her safety. There was no way to fight their father or try to reason with him, especially when he was incoherent with alcohol, and Marik cursed himself for allowing Rishid to try. The bedroom door slammed open and the two looked up, watching as their father marched towards Marik. Rishid stumbled out of the room, tears down his face and bruises on his body, but their father did not pay attention. "Father, please!" he screamed, but his words were unheard by the alcoholic. With a harsh tug their father pulled Marik up from the floor, causing him to squeak in surprise, and he began dragging Marik towards the ceremonial room. Ishizu screamed out with Rishid, both of them trying to claw at their father, but a strong kick sent the both of them flying. Marik also tried to fight him, clawing at his arms and hitting his chest, but the older man simply scoffed. "Little brat," he spat, slamming the door behind them and dropping Marik on the ground. "Perhaps you'll learn some respect when you face your purpose."_

 _Marik stumbled to his feet and tried to escape while his father locked the door, but there was nowhere to run and his father quickly picked him up once more. "Let me go!" he screamed, pounding on his father's chest, but it was as if he barely felt it. A large stone table stood in the centre of the room, and Marik's father slammed him down onto it face first. Marik struggled against his father's grasp, screaming out to his siblings, but his father overpowered him and had soon chained him down, tying him down to the torture device. Ishizu and Rishid's pleas could be heard from outside, but the door was locked shut and Marik's binds were too tight to escape. With his face tied down to the slab Marik could no longer see what his father was doing, but a wave of fear still ran through his body when he heard the familiar metallic noise. "Now then...shall we begin the ceremony?"_

 _Marik screamed out, a mixture of pain and fear, as his father began his first incision. Pain shot through his body, resulting in a blood curdling scream as he felt the flesh on his back slice, and he tensed himself as his father gouged at his body. Rishid had tried so desperately to prevent it, to take Marik's place, but deep down they knew there had been no hope of that. Rishid was adopted, and tombkeepers had to be within the family bloodline, meaning that Marik was the only candidate. His father sliced again, blood pouring from the wounds, laughing softly as he did so. Marik's screams turned into sobs and finally into silence, his mind racing as he tried to cope. His lip had begun to bleed from biting down on it, and his fingers collected scratches as he tried to escape in vain. His eyes stung and he tried desperately to reach his hands up to them, but the bindings on his body forced him to stay still. The longer the ceremony went on the less pain Marik could feel, though he wasn't sure whether it was from growing used to it or a loss of blood. Even so, Marik's mind had broken. The fear he had originally had twisted into something much darker, and he tried desperately to shut himself down and block the world out. He screamed out in his mind, begging for release from the pain, and to his surprise a voice spoke out. "Let me take the pain," it whispered. "Let me take it away for you."_

 _Marik screamed out with desperation, trying to reach out to the voice in his mind. "Please...please make it go away!" he begged, his throat on fire from all of his screams. His body ached, his ears rang, his vision blurred. "Please..." he whispered, beginning to pass out from the pain on his back. The senses in his body began to numb, and were replaced with a feeling of relief washing over his body. His eyes opened wearily, and he was shocked to find himself no longer restrained, floating in what seemed to be an infinite sea of darkness. "Do not worry," the voice spoke again, this time with a more familiar tone, similar to Marik's voice. "I will take care of you now."_

 _With those words Marik began to relax, wrapping his arms around his body and soothing himself. The fresh wounds on his back no longer stung with pain, but instead had a cool and refreshing feeling, and his body began to warm up. His screams were replaced with soft sobs, but even they halted when he felt a presence holding onto him. "There, there," it cooed, it's invisible embrace wrapping around Marik. It reminded him of the times his brother and sister had held him as they watched the stars, and he gave a small smile as the feeling became stronger around him._

" _That's it, just relax...I will make everything right again."_


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

A soft sobbing roused Marik from his slumber, echoing softly in the room. Each sniffle and cry seemed muffled, though Marik could tell that the cries were quite close to him. For a moment he simply listened for it, keeping his eyes closed as he took in the sound. It was an innocent and delicate cry, almost like music. Marik felt his body relax and his breathing calm as he became hypnotised by the sobbing, and his limited vision became hazy, as if he were drifting back into sleep.

"I'm so sorry," the voice whispered, still subtly muffled. It was a familiar voice that Marik had heard time and time before. Soft like caramel, sweet like tea. It sounded just like Ryou's.

"Ryou!" Marik cried out in shock, realising that the voice did indeed belong to his friend. Marik shot up from his bed and sprung his eyes open, desperate to find his friend and help. The scene that appeared before him confused Marik, though he was too worried to fully pay attention. He lay in his bed with a faint sunset from beyond his window, and Ryou kneeling by his bedside, burying his face into the covers by Marik's legs. Without warning he leaned over and grabbed Ryou's hands, staring deep into a familiar pair of surprised chocolate eyes. The smaller boy's sobs paused in the confusion, and were replaced with a sudden gasp as Marik reached out to him.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Marik shouted, checking Ryou's body. His eyes glistened despite their rosy tint, and his white hair was tangled and frizzled, as if he had been thrown about. "Did someone hurt you? Talk to me!"

Overwhelmed by Marik's sudden questioning, Ryou burst into tears once more, sobbing loudly as he pounced on top of Marik and cuddled him tightly. Marik wrapped his arms around Ryou in response, though his train of thought was not interrupted, and he opened his mouth to question Ryou further.

"Thank god!" Ryou cried out, cutting Marik off before he could speak. The statement caused Marik to do a double take, and his shock turned to confusion as he tried to piece together what was happening in his head. "Wait a minute, what do you mean? Thank god for what?" Marik asked, brushing Ryou's hair with his fingertips instinctually. They had cried in each other's arms numerous times before, sharing their deepest emotions and troubles since they were little, but this time appeared to be different.

"I...you passed out...and your memories..." Ryou struggled to form his words into a complete sentence, and paused for a moment to breathe as Marik comforted him. His hands caressed the smaller boy's back, brushing his snow white locks side to side, and he began hushing him like a mother with a crying newborn. "Calm down, Ryou," Marik whispered softly in his ear, his warm breath tickling the albino's skin and bringing him back to reality. "Deep breaths, that's it." Ryou pulled away from his embrace and wiped his eyes with his sleeves, giving Marik a reassuring smile as if to let him know he was okay. "You ready to talk now?" Marik asked softly, and Ryou gave a small nod before taking a deep breath and opening his mouth.

"Marik, how much do you remember?" he asked nervously. The question was open ended and vague, puzzling Marik. "What do you mean? How much I remember of what?" he asked, trying to clarify. Ryou continued to shake slightly, but still managed to keep his voice clear. "About who you know, where you are, what you last remember happening. Just start with today, what do you remember about today?"

"Well, I remember waking up this morning," Marik began. "And I had to do something today...something important to me. Oh, that's it! I had to give something to Bakura! What was it? A book? Ah, now I remember! His DVD!" With each statement Ryou's smile grew, and his face lit up with relief. "But he wasn't at school today, so then we went out to get some snacks together afterwards. And we were talking to that nice old man, when I saw Bakura across the street. So I ran up to him and you tried to stop me, and then...and then…"

Marik's words finally trailed off, and the look of relief on Ryou's face was replaced with an anxious one. "And then I saw…" Marik's words grew softer, and he gave a look of concentration. There was something missing about his memories, something that he had known about a long time ago. The word he was missing sat on the tip of his tongue, and he began looking around the room to try and figure out any clues. "I saw…"

His eyes fell onto the mirror in his room, and his own lavender eyes caught his gaze. The deep purple colour clicked something in the back of his mind, and a name finally came rushing to him. Marik's head began aching with a sharp pain, cutting into him like a knife, with each new memory. Images, visions and whispers flooded his mind. Moments and thoughts that he had buried deep down were finally resurfacing, along with an unbearable pain. He wanted to reach out and grasp at his temples to try and dull the pain, but his body refused to give him any say. Instead, tears began to flow down his cheeks, partially due to the pain but also because of the severity of his memories. His body turned numb, his mind became blank, and without thinking Marik uttered a single word.

"Malik."

His heart sank into his stomach, but Ryou lowered him down into a resting position again before he had a chance to fall over and pass out again. "Hey, hey, I've got you," Ryou whispered reassuringly. His voice had begun to shake again, though it was clear he was trying his hardest to keep it together and take care of Marik. A cool sensation spread over his forehead as Marik's vision turned slightly hazy, followed by a distinct damp feeling. "There we go, a cold flannel should help," Ryou said, patting Marik's hot face down. Once the towel had settled onto his forehead, Ryou held Marik's head upwards, supporting him with his hand. "Drink," he ordered, bringing a bottle of water to Marik's mouth and tilting it. Marik felt himself swallowing the chilly liquid as it slipped past his lips, and the pain began subsiding within a few moments. His head continued to ache with a stabbing pain and his body refused to stop shivering, but he had regained control over his body once again.

"Tell me how you're feeling Marik," Ryou said softly, with a slight pleading tone. He reached over and grasped Marik's hand in his own, entwining their fingers together and squeezing them gently. Marik closed his eyes and focused on what Ryou had said, allowing his mind to slowly form an answer. "I feel..." he began, his eyelashes flickering ever so slightly. "I feel scared." Ryou's hand tightened a little more, shivering more and more with each of Marik's words.

"I remember him now. I remember what he did to me, what happened during the duel with Yugi. All the memories of what he did when I was a child are coming back." Marik's voice shook, but remained clear as he explained his feelings. "But I'm also confused. I feel like there's something I'm missing."

"Missing?" Ryou exclaimed. He leaned forward and tried his best to listen, hanging on Marik's every word. Marik nodded. "I know I'm missing something. I can remember my childhood, I remember the adventures we went on, I remember all the duels and even the showdown between Yugi and Yami. But after that...it just doesn't feel right. I just remember going to school, hanging out with you. I don't understand."

"I...think I can explain," Ryou whispered, catching Marik's attention. He fluttered his eyes opened and looked at his friend, who had begun to tear up slightly again. A look of guilt was painted on his face, and his hand shook against Marik's as he spoke. "I just want to start by saying that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Marik, I didn't want things to be like this." He took another deep breath, and braced himself as he explained.

"When the Millennium Duel between Yugi and Yami was over, something wasn't right. The door between our worlds wouldn't close, and our items kept glowing. Before we could figure out what was going on Yami, Bakura and Malik stumbled out, and the door shut behind them. Yami thinks that it was the universe trying to correct itself, since they were never meant to be here in the first place. We were so happy to see Yami again, but we all panicked when we saw Bakura and Malik. After everything that happened we were terrified of them, especially since they now had their own physical bodies, but Yami wasn't afraid. He told us to go back and that he would catch up, but Yugi stayed to help out. According to him, Yami forgave them for what they did and offered to take them back to Domino. They made it clear that they weren't on our side, but they accepted his offer and Yami snuck them back with us."

"I didn't talk to them on the way home, we all avoided them as much as we could. Bakura tried to talk to me and I just pushed him away. But you, you reacted the worst. You locked yourself in your room and wouldn't open the door. Katsuya and Honda offered to protect you, but you wouldn't speak to anyone. We tried to keep Malik as far away as possible to try and console you, but there was nothing we could do to calm you down. The only person you let into your room was Yami, and that was to beg him to send Malik to the shadow realm again. From what I heard Malik wanted to talk to you, but everyone kept an eye on him to prevent it."

"When we got back, things went back to normal for the most part. Yami moved in with Yugi, we all went back to school. But you weren't the same once you started talking to us again. Your eyes were always red and baggy, you looked over your shoulder constantly, you barely ate. I tried to take care of you, but…" Ryou started choking back tears, but before Marik could reach up to comfort him he shook his head and continued. "But I couldn't do anything. I tried bringing you food everyday, but you started missing school. When I went to visit you, you would barely talk, and when you did it was always about your nightmares. You said that you could always see him when you closed your eyes, reliving the pain he put you through. You didn't sleep, you didn't eat, you didn't even...want to live. I was so thankful to Bakura-"

Ryou's eyes widened and he brought his hands to his mouth, realising that he had slipped up and revealed too much. Bakura's name caused Marik's ears to perk up, and he sharpened his eyes as he sat up a little more in bed. "Thankful to Bakura for what?" he asked, giving Ryou a leery stare. Ryou swallowed and scratched his head, sighing softly. "I...I wasn't meant to tell you, but I guess you have a right to know." He looked down at his hands and fiddled with them as he continued speaking, trying to distract himself from the now awkward atmosphere.

"I didn't speak to Bakura when he came to Domino until he started attending the school. He didn't tell me where he was living, but Yami told me that he had given Bakura some help setting up his life. He was in a different class at first, and I didn't want to worsen your symptoms, so we didn't tell you about him. This must have been a few months ago, but I remember when you met him again. It was a hot day and we were in gym class, though you felt too ill to play. I offered to walk with you to the taps to cool you down, and when we got there we bumped into Bakura."

Ryou gave a small smile, as if remembering a fond and nostalgic memory. "He took one look at you and saw how run down you were. You were so afraid of him, I thought that you might pass out then and then. But Bakura, he just ran up to you and asked if you were alright. I didn't know him well yet, so I pushed him away and tried to protect you, but I realised he had this look in his eye. He looked so scared for you, I had never seen him like that before. He apologised and walked away, and we were both confused. You had to go home after that because it gave you a panic attack, but while you were gone Bakura came up to me and asked to have a talk. He apologised for everything he had done, to you and to me, and begged me to let him help you. He swore that he wanted to be different this time, to make things up to us. I think he realised just how serious things were becoming for you, and so he started spending time with us."

"At first he just started hanging out in our classroom, trying to make you feel safer. Then he'd join us as we ate lunch, or try to make small talk. You were so afraid of him, but I could tell you had a crush on him. When he came into the classroom you would light up a little more, and when he left you looked more down than usual. He was the first person to make you smile again. We had sat down for lunch, and out of the blue he made a terrible pun. We just stared in surprise and he looked so embarrassed, but then you cracked a smile and laughed. I won't lie, I felt a little jealous that he was able to help you and I wasn't, but I knew it was good for you so I put my jealousy behind me."

"Ah, sorry," Ryou apologised, blushing slightly and letting out a chuckle. "It's easy to get carried away thinking about these things. But we were all good friends, even if we didn't speak that much to him. He would just sort of hang around, bringing you food, walking you home, keeping you company. Mind you he was still the same old Bakura, he still got in trouble and fought with the teachers a lot. A lot of people called him a delinquent, and I suppose they weren't wrong. But since he had returned to our world, he really did feel like a new person."

Ryou's detailed recount, although explained well, didn't make any sense to Marik. Bakura was known throughout the whole of Domino, and possibly beyond, for being trouble. He was known for getting into fights, pulling pranks, getting suspended. Not to mention that he had acted bitterly to Marik and constantly told him to keep away when they first sat next to each other. How was it even possible for Bakura to be his friend?

"If we were friends, then why did he push me away so much?" Marik asked, his head filled with questions. "And if he was so nice, why did you always tell me he was trouble and to stay away? I don't understand, none of this adds up!" With each question Marik grew more and more frustrated by the situation, but Ryou squeezed his hand to reassure him and bring him back to reality. "I can't answer every question you have, because he never told me the reasons, but I can tell you what happened just before you lost your memories." Marik gave Ryou a desperate nod, and the albino continued with his story.

"One afternoon, just after Bakura had transferred into our class, we were waiting by the gate for Bakura to get out of class and walk home with us, but he was running late. You had a terrible nightmare the night before, and looked worse than ever before, so I quickly ran off to get us some drinks while we waited. When I got to the machine I saw Bakura in the distance, talking to Yami. I couldn't hear them, but Bakura was angry about something while Yami was smirking and laughing. I didn't hang around for long because I didn't want to leave you alone, but Bakura stormed off pretty quickly. When I got back and we all met up Bakura still had a conflicted look on his face, though you didn't take much notice considering how down you were feeling. I had some errands to run that day, so the two of you walked off together, while I went down to the shops."

"I wasn't entirely there for the next part, so this is just from what Bakura told me. Apparently you two decided to get some ice cream and go to the park, and when you got there something happened to you. Bakura never told me what happened, just that you lost your memories. He called me and I ran over, and you were just passed out on the grass. He carried you home and we told your family about him passing out, but he wouldn't tell me any more details about what he did or what happened."

"When you came to school the next day, you had completely changed. The first thing you did was walk into the classroom smiling, tell me a joke as you sat down and then complain about how you couldn't wait until lunch to eat. It was like you weren't the same person anymore, you were completely back to normal overnight. So I asked you, what happened the day before? What happened to your memories? But you had no clue what I was going on about, you said you had never had problems eating or sleeping, and that you had never suffered from nightmares. And when I mentioned Bakura, you acted like you had never spoken to him since Duelist Kingdom. So I went and told Bakura at lunch, and he started acting strange, like he was freaking out. I thought that maybe Malik had something to do with it, and Bakura told me that Malik was in one of the gangs he hung out with, so we went to see him about it after school. Bakura said that Malik didn't like him at all, and that he would always avoid talking to him, but when we saw him he came up and started grinning, like he hadn't seen us since the Millennium Duel. We didn't mention you, but it became obvious that his memories were missing too, and that neither of you could remember one another."

"I was so confused about what was going on, but I knew that I didn't want it to change. You were so happy again. You smiled all the time, you ate regularly again, you came to school every day. I was so happy to have you back again, I couldn't bare to see you go back. I begged Bakura to help me prevent you and Malik from meeting, so that you wouldn't remember each other. I thought he would be glad now that you were back to your regular self. But instead he glared at me, and said he would only do it if I promised that we would never be friends again. He said that he hated us, that he never wanted to speak to us again, and that we should stay away from him. I asked him why he would say that, why he hated us suddenly. He refused to tell me anything, just that he would keep his word and make sure you never met Malik. But I couldn't handle that, I needed an explanation. He had changed so much as a person, I didn't understand why he was turning back to his old self. And that's when he admitted that he…"

A sad look reappeared on Ryou's face, and he gave a heavy sigh and he looked down at his lap. "He was the one who caused your memory loss. He wouldn't tell me how. He wouldn't give me a single detail. He just said that it was him. So I screamed at him. Shouted. He never said a word the entire time, he just stared at me with these sad eyes. I called him every word in the book, I warned him to never come near you again, to never try and talk to us again, to keep his word and stay away. And after all of my screaming and hatred, I just walked away and never spoke to him again. That's why I've always told you to keep away from him. That's why I was scared when you wanted to get close to him. I'm sorry."

Silence filled the room. All that Ryou could hear was his own heavy breathing and his heartbeat, which pounded like a drum. He had finally gotten his secrets off of his chest, and although it was nice to finally stop hiding the truth, he couldn't help but be anxious of Marik's reaction. He looked up, thinking that perhaps Marik would be curious about Bakura, or even angry at him, but instead Marik's face was one of total fear. "What...what happened to Malik?" Marik asked, his voice shaking and barely audible, causing Ryou to jump a little with surprise. After everything that he had explained about Bakura, Marik seemed to have ignored it entirely.

"Uh, well," he began, not entirely sure how to respond. "Bakura joined Malik's gang to keep an eye on him. I know because I started seeing them together outside of school, and I made sure to note where they hung out so we could avoid them. They'd never been near that old man's store before, so I thought it was safe. I didn't speak to Malik again, I just couldn't. Not after you had suffered because of him. Bakura and I never spoke again either, and I just assumed things would be alright if we avoided them entirely. I just...wanted to forget everything. I wanted things to go back to normal again. Just like they had for you."

"Does…" Marik's words were barely above a whisper, and he struggled to form a sentence as tears erupted from his eyes. "Does M-Malik remember me n-now?" His question dripped with desperation and hope, though his eyes gave it away that he was sadly aware of the answer. Ryou couldn't help but give Marik a sympathetic look as he answered. "He does. I'm sorry."

Those four words were enough to finally make Marik snap, and he burst out sobbing as loud as he could. "Marik!" Ryou shrieked in shock, unsure of what to do in this situation. All he could do was watch in horror as Marik tossed about in his bed before rolling over and pushing his face deep into his pillow. His muffled cries broke Ryou's heart, and he felt guilty that he had crushed Marik's hopes that things would be okay. He thought back to the last time Marik had remembered his yami. The empty look in his eyes wherever he went, the constantly growling of his stomach, the way his skin would bruise from the gentlest touch. Ryou had never pushed Marik to explain his nightmares or fears, both out of respect and cowardice, but he knew that whatever Marik had been thinking and seeing was a living hell. The sound of his cries were contagious, and soon Ryou's eyes had welled up with tears once again. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered as warm droplets rolled down his porcelain cheeks, falling onto Marik's bedsheets.

The two sat together crying as hard as they could, though for different reasons. The room was filled with their cries and moans, and Ryou slinked off of Marik's bed and onto the floor, bringing his head to his knees. Marik's body refused to listen to him, and he twisted and convulsed, trying to get his emotion out any way possible. Images of Malik's eyes appeared in his mind, and no matter how much he tried to swat them away, the unnerving eyes remained fixated on Marik. He tore the cloth from his forehead and pulled it over his eyes, trying his hardest to hide from his memories and thoughts. The way that Malik reacted played in his head over and over again, making his heart race with adrenalin and fear. His body started shutting down, and all Marik could do was continue crying as his stomach emptied itself onto his bed sheets, causing him to choke and splutter. Ryou's ears picked up on the sound and he jumped into action, holding Marik on his side and rubbing his back. By this point the sound had become loud enough to hear downstairs, and a few moments later Ishizu ran up and opened Marik's bedroom door. "Marik!" she cried out in surprise. "Wait one second, I'll get towels. Rishid!"

Ishizu quickly hurried off find their brother and get supplies for Marik, while Ryou continued nursing him as best he could. He took the washcloth from Marik and began mopping up the remains of Marik's lunch as best he could, while trying to calm Marik down. "It's okay, I'm here Marik, I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you," he cooed, rubbing Marik's back as he finally ceased vomiting. Ryou's own words stung him, as he knew that he had failed to protect Marik, but he continued whispering them as he reached his arms around Marik and slowly prompted him to get up from his bed. Marik's body was almost entirely void of energy, and the two of them stumbled and shook as Ryou tried his best to support the taller boy's body weight. Ishizu returned with some fresh sheets and towels, while Rishid carried some medicine and a plastic bucket. Ishizu was used to performing chores around the house, ever since they were children, and managed to get the dirtied sheets off within seconds.

Ryou helped Marik down onto his desk chair while Rishid opened a packet of tablets and popped two out of the foil. He grabbed the bottle of water that Ryou had brought and held it to Marik's lips while slipping the pills into Marik's mouth. The tan boy was delirious and not fully aware of what was occurring, but managed to sip at the water and swallow the pills. Ryou stood behind Marik, supporting his head from falling over and massaging his neck, while Ishizu bundled up the old bedding and began placing the new covers on. Rishid took a cloth and began wiping Marik's face, both to cool him down and clean him up, before assisting Ishizu and laying a towel across his pillow. Once they had finished setting up the bed again, Rishid picked Marik up in his arms bridal style, moving him from the chair to his freshly changed bed. Ryou moved the bucket to the side of his bed, making sure to keep it in arm's reach, while Rishid gathered the dirty sheets and left to begin washing them. Ishizu sat on the bed next to Marik, just as Ryou had done before, and stroked his hair. Marik had finally calmed down and stopped crying, with his breathing returning to normal. He had been so close to passing out before, so it was no surprise when Marik's eyes fluttered shut and his sobbing ceased as he fell asleep.

"You're a good friend, Ryou," Ishizu whispered to Ryou, her voice filled with a sense of motherly instinct. "Please don't think that you caused this, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Ishizu had always been there to support her brothers and was always focused when caring for them, Marik especially. Still, she couldn't help but let her emotions slip into her voice, and Ryou could hear the sadness behind her words. "I appreciate it Ishizu. When he wakes up please let him know that I'll be back tomorrow morning before school," Ryou replied with a gloomy monotone voice. She could tell that he was blaming himself, and Ryou knew his face gave it away, but she kept her mouth shut and simply nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, thank you for everything."

With that, Ryou walked out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Ishizu to tend to Marik. His cheeks were wet and stained with tears, and his eyes were still swollen. Despite all of his crying and sickness, he appeared somewhat relaxed and peaceful while he slept, though Ishizu found that all the more heartbreaking. She had stayed by Marik's side every night since they had returned to Domino, and knew from experience that the only time he seemed at peace was while he was in his sleep. However, even when he was able to get some rest from reality, the tranquility was always broken by his nightmares and he would wake up screaming or crying. She had spent countless hours stroking his hair, cleaning his sick, making sure he felt secure. A tear rolled down her face, but she was quick to brush it away. "I can't appear weak for him," she reminded herself softly. "He's the one suffering the most. He needs us to stay strong."

Finally, once she was convinced that Marik was deeply asleep and no longer at risk of panicking, she leaned down and kissed his forehead, stroking his hair back as she did so. "Stay strong Marik," she whispered to him, watching as his lips curled into a soft smile. She smiled back and stood up from the bed, making her way out of the room and allowing him to sleep in peace. With one last squeak of the door as it shut, Marik was finally alone to rest, and he turned on his side while a drop of drool hung from the edge of his mouth.

"Ba...kur...a…"

* * *

 _Marik had lost track of time while he was in the embrace of this stranger. Could the voice be considered a stranger? It was a familiar voice, as if it were the voice of a family member, but Marik was certain he had never heard it before. Still, whoever or whatever it was reassured him, and Marik felt completely content now that the presence had taken away his pain._

 _The peace did not long last, or perhaps it did and Marik lost track of time. But regardless, it was broken at some point, as Marik felt a warm splash against his hand. A spray of water? No, it was certainly too hot for that, even water sitting under the Egyptian sun wasn't that warm. The liquidy sensation stuck to his hand, and despite Marik's attempts to shake it off of his skin, his arm refused to budge. Still, it was only a minor annoyance, and Marik shook the thought of it from his mind to return to his relaxing._

 _A second splash hit him, this time covering his other hand as well as his arms. The liquid no longer seemed just hot, but also sticky and with a strange scent. The smell reminded Marik of the coins that Rishid had handled when purchasing supplies for the family, or the various shiny wares that Marik had browsed while out in the market place. The scent had a metallic ring to it, almost like copper or iron. It wasn't until the third splash directly onto Marik's face that he had reached his tipping point, and he opened his eyes to see exactly what was going on._

 _The sight before Marik caused his eyes to widen in horror, and the source of the liquid became clear. He stood towering above his father, Millennium Rod in hand, lashing at his neck. Instinctively he threw his hands up to cover his eyes, but his limbs wouldn't budge. He tried to turn around, to begin running away from the reality he was experiencing, but his legs failed him. Instead he was forced to stay put, watching as his arm betrayed him and slashed at what little remained of his father's face. Blood seeped out from every cut and hole, including several cut into his chest. Marik looked down at his hands, realising that the strange sensation had been his father's blood, splattering onto his body. He could hear his sister's cries from beyond the door mixed with his father's splutters for help, but Marik could not process them correctly. He was too fixated on the sight alone, watching the life drain from the monster that had held him prisoner for so long. It was true that he had imagined a scenario much like this before, often while he struggled to sleep on the dirty stone floor that he was forced to call his bed, imagining the joy he would feel to see himself triumphant over his abuser. However, his thoughts could never match the realism that appeared before him. He felt no joy watching himself slice and hack at his father's torso, nor did he feel like a victorious hero. All he could muster was terror. Panic. Fear. He opened his mouth to scream, but the sound that came was not his. Instead, it belonged to the strange voice's._

 _"We are safe," it said reassuringly. "Now you will never have to be afraid again." Marik's heart raced as he tried to let out a cry for help, but again his voice was replaced by the stranger's. "I promised to keep us safe, and I did. You can live in peace now, you can live in happiness. You will never feel pain again."_

 _Despite the voice's calm words, the phantom that had taken control of his body begun slashing at the fresh corpse with more determination. Chunks of flesh ripped from the body and sprayed across the room and onto Marik's body, and a feeling of wrath overcame him. "This is what held us back," the voice explained, now full of fury and abhorrence. "This sack of waste. A bug. A speck. A stain. An abomination to humankind." The voice sounded as if it were inside his own mind, but Marik had no control, and was forced to listen as it became darker and darker._

 _"A demon. A monster. A viper from the depths of hell. And now look at it. We watched it together Marik. We watched as it slivered across the room on it's back, begging for mercy. Beginning to keep it's pathetic life. The only thing crueler than all of it's actions combined would have been to allow it that mercy. To allow its mistake of an existence to continue plaguing this world. It was a glorious feeling, was it not? Allowing something this sinful, this revolting, to finally be released of its sickening life."_

 _Marik's arms began stabbing into his father's neck, cutting at the flesh as to not spare a single inch. "We're finally free Marik," It purred, sinking the Millennium Rod into the unrecognisable pile of meat one final time. A loud bang came from the left, and the force controlling Marik turned to look at the source of the noise. Rishid had managed to break down the door and the two siblings had stepped into the room, though they had frozen on the spot. Both gasped at the horrific scene before them, and Ishizu quickly turned to avert her eyes. The sight was not enough to turn Rishid away, as he had seen gory sights before when dealing with their father's business, but the smell was enough to make him choke._

 _The presence that had puppeteered Marik began to slip away slightly, and he felt his voice return to him. "Why?" he cried out, traumatised by what he had witnessed. "Why did you do this?" The voice chuckled, amused by Marik's cries, as if they were a joke._

 _"So we can be happy together Marik. Forever."_


	9. Chapter 9: Sick Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The only rights I own are to my own original characters. I do not gain any money from this work.**

* * *

Ryou stood in front of Marik's bedroom door once again, though entering it seemed to be a strenuous task this time. He had hardly slept after being kept up by his worried thoughts, and all of Marik's possible reactions ran through his head. Perhaps he had completely forgotten about the events of the day before and things would be normal again. Maybe he would be worse than he previously had been. Knowing that his thoughts would only stress him further the longer he delayed entering, Ryou pushed open the door and stepped into the room, looking across to Marik's bed.

The Egyptian boy was still deeply asleep and hanging slightly out of the bed, with a small glob of drool hanging from his mouth. Ryou made sure to close the door as quietly as possible, and tiptoed over to the side of the bed. The bucket he had placed was still empty and hadn't been moved, which was a good sign that Marik had managed to sleep okay. Without thinking, Ryou gave a sigh of relief, and Marik's eyes began to flutter open.

"...ku...ra?" he mumbled, still not fully conscious. If the situation hadn't been so serious Ryou would have chuckled, but he managed to maintain a straight face and kneeled by the side of the bed. Marik blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision, before rolling over to face Ryou properly and smiling at him. "Good morning," he said with a yawn.

"Morning Marik," Ryou said back. "How are you feeling today? Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm, yeah. I had a dream about B-" Marik's eyes shot open as he caught himself, and he gave Ryou a sheepish and embarrassed look. "Oh, um, I mean...yes, I slept fine." Ryou couldn't help but give a small smile this time, and reached his hand out to stroke Marik's hair off of his face. "I'm so glad to hear that," Ryou replied. Although he was trying to keep up a strong face for Marik, it wasn't a lie that he was indeed glad and joyful about Marik sleeping alright. Perhaps it meant that things would be different this time? That Marik would be okay?

"What time is it?" Marik asked, scratching his head and yawning. "It's about 30 minutes until school starts," Ryou replied, ripping Marik from his sleepy state and causing him to jump out of bed. "Crap, I'm going to be late!" he cried out, rushing to get his uniform. He leapt from the bed, but was stopped by Ryou instinctively reaching out and grabbing his arm. "Wait, Marik! You shouldn't rush your recovery!"

"My recovery?" he asked, giving Ryou a quizzical look. He spotted the towel on his pillow and the bucket at his bedside, and after a few moments the cogs in his head managed to begin turning. "Oh, you mean...my memories."

A slight sadness washed over Marik, and he moved back to the bed and sat down, with Ryou moving to sit beside him. Their hands intertwined again, a sign of friendship and care in their eyes, and Marik let out a sigh. "I just…" Marik began, trying to find the right words to express himself. "I don't know how to feel. On one hand I have so many questions about what happened, and about Bakura, but I don't know if I want to hear the answers. And on the other hand, it's so hard to think about that when I'm terrified of Malik coming after me again." He cradled himself into a ball on the side of the bed, and Ryou began rubbing his back to console him, just as he had done the day before.

"I can't tell you what's going to happen or what you should do, but the fact that you slept alright has to mean something," Ryou said reassuringly. Marik wiped his somewhat wet eyes and looked up at Ryou, nodding at him. "You...you're right Ryou," he replied with a mild smile. "I have to try and be positive about this, for everyone and for myself."

"There we go, there's my strong Marik," Ryou said teasingly, causing Marik to crack a proper smile and laugh. "I'll cover for you at school today and come visit you after, so you take the day off alright? Don't worry about coming back until you're ready," Ryou said, standing up and walking back towards the door. He hated to leave Marik so suddenly, but it was quite a walk from Marik's house to the school, and he needed to make sure he was on time to let the teacher's know about Marik's absence. Marik seemed down about Ryou having to leave, but put on a brave smile and nodded, climbing back into bed.

"Thank you," Marik whispered, smiling. Ryou waved back at him and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway and off towards the school. "See you later Marik." With a small creak the door was finally shut, and Marik lay awake in his bed. His mind raced, as did his heart, and it seemed like nothing could calm him down. He thought back to what Ryou had said yesterday, and about all the events that had supposedly taken place. Some of what Ryou had described felt familiar, as if he knew the memory was tucked way back in his mind, but some of it seemed impossible to him. He had no recollection of ever being close to Bakura, barring the time they had spent together in Duelist Kingdom. He had been so convinced of all the rumours. He had seen it with his own eyes. And yet there was still a part of Marik that believed Ryou's words. As crazy as it seemed, Bakura had genuinely been nice to him. Making him soup, protecting him from Malik, apologising to him. Marik tried to shake the conflicted feelings from his head, and instead focus on what he would do next.

"Well...maybe 5 more minutes first."

* * *

With a ring of the bell, students began filing out of the classroom, excited for the long awaited lunchtime to begin. Ryou's parents had prepared him a small bento, and although his appetite wasn't good today, he forced himself from his seat and began making his way to the roof to eat. A hand landed on his shoulder causing him to jump, which wasn't a surprise since he had been on edge all day. He looked over to see who was trying to grab his attention, and stared into a very familiar pair of brown eyes. "We need to talk," Bakura asserted, grabbing Ryou's arms and pulling him out of the classroom. "Wait!" Ryou shouted, grabbing at Bakura's arm and trying to escape his grasp unsuccessfully. He knew that he was weaker than his counterpart, and after a few moments of struggling to regain control, he gave up and followed Bakura as they began walking around the school. His pace was rushed and Ryou struggled to keep up with him, but luckily they reached their destination within a few minutes. Bakura had taken Ryou out from the school building and over to the sports equipment shed, where he had seen Bakura and Yami arguing months ago.

"What did you bring me here for, Bakura?" Ryou asked, not afraid to let out a snarl. Bakura turned to face him, and his expression was difficult to pinpoint. He appeared to be concerned and determined, but also angry and pissed off, with a hint of guilty mixed in. "Where's Marik?" Bakura asked, completely monotone. The question was short and to the point, which for some reason pissed Ryou off even more, and he squinted his eyes aggressively. "He's at home resting, not that you should care," he answered, his words dripping with hostility. Although Bakura was bigger than him and known for being violent, Ryou didn't fear him at this moment. He couldn't, not after seeing Marik's weakness and knowing that Bakura had played a role in it. He had to be strong for his friend.

Ryou's answer infuriated Bakura, and he crossed his arms while grinding his teeth. "Am I not allowed to care?" he spat, taking a step towards Ryou. The two stood only a few feet from each other, but neither dared to break eye contact, and Ryou refused to move from his spot. "I don't know Bakura, you certainly didn't care when something like this happened the first time." Ryou completely threw Bakura's words back in his face, but this only served to make Bakura more irritated and vexed, and he took another step towards his hikari.

"If I didn't give a shit about Marik, would I really have protected him from Malik this whole time?" he asked, enraged at Ryou's nerve, but the smaller boy refused to back down and raised his voice. "You didn't protect him! I trusted you and your gang enough to not show up there, to not be that out in the open, and look at what happened!" Ryou shouted. Bakura snarled, stepping over and shortening the distance between the two. They were only a foot apart at this stage, but Ryou continued to stand his ground. He could feel himself sweating with fear slightly, but he remained strong by reminding himself of what Marik was going through.

"Oh, and I suppose I just let this happen to me for no reason then?" Bakura asked sarcastically as he popped his jacket open, revealing his damaged chest. Bruises and scrapes littered his delicate pearly skin, though Ryou only had a moment to take it in before Bakura began buttoning his shirt up again. A pang of guilt hit Ryou's heart, and for the first time he took a step back, revealing his weakness to Bakura. Ryou hated others getting hurt, and Bakura took full advantage of this. "I didn't have to hold Malik back, but I did. The only reason Malik didn't tackle Marik and kidnap him was because I fought him off while you ran away, so you can thank me for that too!"

"Thank _you_?" Ryou asked with an appalled tone. "Do you even know how scared Marik is right now? Do you know how terrifying it was to try and explain what was going on to him, or having to tell him that Malik remembered him? You don't! You don't care enough about Marik to protect him, and you don't care enough to offer any sort of explanation to him!" Bakura's pupils shrunk and his face began to turn red, indicating that Ryou had taken it too far. Ryou took another step back, regretting how angry he had become with Bakura, while the taller boy walked up to Ryou's face and growled.

"No, you're upset that _you_ didn't get an explanation. If you want to have a fucking tantrum about _your_ hurt feelings, go right ahead, but don't drag Marik into this. I stood up for you, I did my best even though I didn't want to, and even now I'm trying to make sure that Marik's alright. Why should I have to explain myself to you? If Marik wants to know what's happening, then I'll be the one to tell him. Don't act all high and mighty just because you rubbed his back and said it would be okay. You aren't the one getting hurt," Bakura spat.

For a moment, the two were silent, staring at each other with an intense hate. The next moment, a loud clap echoed by the sports shed, and Ryou stormed off. Bakura didn't move an inch, though his head had turned away slightly from the slap, and he carefully reached up to touch his cheek. Ryou was particularly weak and it didn't sting physically, but mentally it felt as if he had uppercutted Bakura. Bakura tried to contain his emotions and feelings, and struggled to hold back his anger. Without a word he turned and punched the shed with his bare fist, causing the material to crack slightly and his knuckles to bleed. "Dammit," he whispered under his breath, taking in what Ryou had said and watching the smaller boy disappear out of sight.

Some part of Bakura knew that Ryou was right. He knew that he should have been more careful with Malik, he knew that it was possible for Marik to take that route. He knew that Ryou had done a lot to protect Marik, and that he had failed more than anyone. He understood that he really did owe it to them to tell them what had really happened if he truly cared about Marik. Yet there was no way he could explain what had actually gone through his mind to Ryou. There was no way he would admit that he had let his guard down after being distracted by the events of the weekend. Even he didn't know how to explain the strange feelings that had been messing with his head and his eyes. Being around Marik sent him crazy, and it was a struggle to contain himself. And yet, he just couldn't accept things as they were. He couldn't be truthful to Marik or Ryou, or even to himself. Since Marik had been gone, Bakura's symptoms had only grown worse, and Ryou shouting at him certainly didn't make it any better.

"I just need a breather," Bakura gasped, struggling with the pain of his condition as he walked back to the classroom. "I just need to visit him and stop the pain, just for a little bit. I can just...check on him."

* * *

Since Marik had woken up from his nap, things had been going so-so for him. A day off from school meant a day for relaxation and self-care, and Marik was determined to get better quick. Although he was terrified of Malik, it was as if his body was numb from the shock, allowing him to act somewhat normal. Rishid had taught him when he was little to find comfort in life's smaller pleasures, and he did just that by dressing himself up. He didn't spend a huge amount on clothes, but Marik made sure to keep an updated and stylish wardrobe, and he knew that the best thing to improve his mood was to wear his favourite outfit. It took no time for him to jump out of his pyjamas and into his favourite pair of black leather pants and a lavender hoodie, topped off with golden Egyptian jewellery from his family. There was something about the clothing that made him feel like he was at home, as well as exceptionally fashionable. Marik didn't wear it much, both due to the cold and due to his anxiety about showing his skin off, but around the home he felt safe to wear it. A knock came from his bedroom door as he began applying his kohl and fixing his hair, and he turned around quickly to check who it was.

"Marik, are you awake?" Ishizu called from behind the door. "Yeah I'm up!" he answered, walking over to the door and opening it. His sister had bags under her eyes and her hair was a mess, but seeing Marik so cheerful surprised her and brought a smile to her face. "You're up, you're okay! That's good! I've made a big breakfast for you downstairs, so come join Rishid and I before he eats it all."

Marik's stomach growled at the notion of food, and he grinned as he stepped out and walked downstairs with his sister. The table was set with a large platter of food, ranging from toast, beans and eggs to cereal, juice and fruit. Rishid sat at the table with a cup of black coffee, reading the newspaper for the day. The two took a seat and Rishid looked up from his paper, a look of anticipation on his face. "Better today?" he asked, and Marik nodded in response. A small smile broke out on his face and he returned to reading his newspaper while Marik took the box of cereal and began pouring it into his bowl. "I'm glad that you're doing alright Marik. Ishizu was worrying about whether or not to call in sick today at work to take care of you."

Ishizu smacked Rishid's arm gently to tell him off, while the two boys had a little laugh. "Honestly, you two," she sighed as she fixed herself some breakfast and began eating. "I just wanted to make sure Marik didn't feel alone today, I didn't want anything to happen." Marik felt a little guilty at her words, and paused for a moment as he poured his milk. He knew that they did of their own free will, but Marik couldn't help but feel guilty for making everyone worry and tend to him, and he hung his head a little lower as he picked up his spoon.

"I'm really sorry," Marik apologised, causing Rishid and Ishizu to look up at him with confused expressions. "If it weren't for me you wouldn't be worrying like this, or having to take care of me, or-"

"That's enough of that," Ishizu cut him off and shoved his spoonful of cereal into his mouth, giving him a stern look. "I don't want to hear a single apology from you Marik. We're more than happy to care for you, you're our brother. We want you to be happy and healthy, so don't worry." Marik pulled the spoon from his mouth and chewed his cereal begrudgingly, though he was happy for his sister's reassurance. The three of them continued their morning ritual with Marik enjoying cereal and fruit, Ishizu having beans on toast and Rishid sipping on his coffee with his english muffin and eggs.

"Your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it Marik?" Rishid said, trying to make small talk. "What have your friends got planned for you this time?"

"Dunno," Marik answered between mouthfuls as he shovelled the delicious sugar-covered cereal into his mouth. "Yugi said he's gonna organise a surprise for me. It'll be the last school day before the holidays so it'll probably happen in the evening, so I might be out late. And Ryou wants to have a sleepover before Christmas, so I can crash at his place if that's okay with you." Ishizu gave a slightly worried side glance to Rishid, but he reassured her with a nod and a smile. "Make sure you don't stay out too long and get home safe," he reminded Marik, taking another sip of his coffee and glancing at his watch.

"Better start getting ready now," Rishid told his sister, and the two quickly cleaned their plates of any remaining food. "You know our numbers so call if anything comes up," Ishizu called out to Marik as she took the dirty plates to the kitchen and began cleaning up for work. His two siblings danced around between the living room and kitchen, grabbing bags, shoes and notes while Marik calmly continued munching his breakfast and sipping some milk from the carton.

"Right, we're off," Rishid said a few moments later, walking out the front door with Ishizu. "We'll be back earlier tonight, so don't worry! Lunch is in the fridge!" With that note the two shut the door and hurried off for work, allowing Marik to enjoy some long awaited peace and quiet. His cereal had begun to get soggy and he had finished his glass of juice, so he leaned back in his chair to think.

"What should I do today…" he whispered into the silent room, putting his arms behind his neck and relaxing. It wasn't a bad day outside, but he wanted to stay indoors and rest, not to mention he didn't want to risk bumping into...Malik. Thoughts crept into his mind about Malik, like whether or not he had followed Marik home when he passed out, or whether he could find his address. "No!" he scolded himself. "I need to take this time to relax. I can't panic about it, I need to stay strong." A less than pleasant smell filled his nostrils and he sniffed around, looking for the source of the scent. The trash had already been taken out and the cereal certainly wasn't the source. Still, the scent was close by, and Marik sniffed himself to check.

"Ugh, I could use a bath," Marik exclaimed, standing up and putting his bowl in the kitchen sink. "It feels like a waste to get dressed and then take a bath, but I guess it's not a huge deal." Jogging up the stairs, Marik stepped into his bathroom and began running the bath, making sure to add lots of bubble mixture. The gold jewellery was a pain to remove, and his tight leather pants were a struggle, but the rest was fairly easy to slip off. His hoodie brushed against the scars on his back, causing Marik to shiver and jolt. Memories of what had happened that day shot into his mind, and he leaned against the bathroom sink to steady himself. "Just breathe," he instructed himself. "I just need to get in the bath and calm down."

It took a few minutes to fill up the bath, as Marik generally enjoyed the water level being higher than average, but once it had finished he turned the taps off and tested the water. It wasn't exactly warm water, but the crisp Winter air gave it the illusion of being perfectly hot, and Marik dipped himself into the tub with a sigh of relief. With a satisfying splash, Marik made himself comfy, and craned his head back against the cool ceramic bathtub. It was perfectly sized for his body, though it was a little cramped, but Marik had always enjoyed it. After a bad day of school or something exciting, it was an amazing feeling to climb into the water and let his stress melt away down the drain. Not to mention that the silky water cooled down his scars and eased his pain, which was always something to look forward to.

With the bathroom being silent and the water stagnant, Marik took the opportunity to talk to himself and let his thoughts wander. "I wonder if Ryou will bring me anything today," he thought to himself out loud. "Some ice cream would be nice. I need to make sure to get back to school soon."

Thoughts of his school filled his mind, eventually leading him to think about Bakura. He remembered the events of the weekend again in his head, replaying them in his mind like a movie. He paused when he recalled Bakura using the same bathtub he was currently in, and Marik pulled his head under the water slightly in embarrassment. As nice as it was to think of his crush naked, he was in no state to worry about his romantic life right now, and shook the idea from his head sadly.

"I wonder what Bakura's doing right now," Marik pondered as he pulled his head up from the water and began scrubbing his body with soap. It was an exotic and unique soap that his friends had purchased for him last year on his birthday, scented like chocolate and strawberries. "I wonder if Ryou was telling the truth. I know he wouldn't lie to me, but maybe there's something missing about what he said. Or maybe I'm just overthinking things." The memories of last night made his heart heavy, and he leaned back to take a break from cleaning himself and think instead.

"He's an absolute jerk. He's insulted me, mocked me, belittled me...but he was nice. When Malik tried to run up to me, the first thing he did was push him back. And the look in his eye was just…"

He looked over at the small plastic duck they kept on the side of the bath, staring into the painted unchanging eyes. "If we were friends before, then I just want to know what changed." His heart began to ache and droop, and his body felt heavier than before. The bath water's effect lost it's grip on Marik, and his muscles tensed as he closed his eyes with a sad expression.

"I just…"

A single tear welled in his eye, but he was quick to brush it away and resume his cleaning, trying to distract himself from his thoughts. Bakura crept into his mind despite his efforts, but he continued bathing himself, making sure to clean every inch of his body to try in an effort to make himself feel better.

"I just want to be close to him."

* * *

After struggling to find comfort in a warm bath, Marik opted to watch some television shows after redressing himself and getting some snacks. School still had a few hours to go until it was over, so Marik decided the best course of action to help himself recover would be to distract himself until Ryou arrived. Most of the channels didn't have much to offer, and hosted shows for housewives and stay at home parents to enjoy. There were the usual cooking channels, daytime dramas and talk shows, but none of them were entertaining enough for Marik to sit through for hours. He got himself comfy for a long session of TV by laying on his side on the sofa, remote in one hand and chips in the other, and began flicking through the channels.

"Boring. Boring. Already watched. Boring. Watched. Watched. Oooh, I haven't seen this episode."

The screen sprung to life with colour as reruns of old cartoons started playing, and Marik tossed the remote away, using his now free hand to shovel potato chips into his mouth. The cartoon wasn't anything new or original before, but the plot was alright enough to warrant watching. Marik gazed at the TV, taking in the fight scene that was occurring. The main characters had managed to collect enough tokens to enter the final battle arena, and the antagonist and protagonist had begun battling with their magical card game. The screen filled with images of dragons, mammoths and lots of posing, which Marik happily enjoyed while munching down his snacks. "Not so fast, if you attack now I'll lose my footing and fall from the castle. Make your choice," the antagonist called out. The protagonist continued preparing for an attack, but his friend jumped in to talk to him. "Don't do it! It's not worth his life!" she cried, convincing the protagonist to reconsider. "Fine, you win this time. I'm never duelling again!" he shouted, walking away and beginning to cry.

"Man, how unrealistic," Marik commented, stuffing another chip into his mouth. "I must've seen this episode before, seems familiar. Maybe the writer was just ripping off another series or something."

A knock came from the front door, and Marik groaned as he peeled himself from the couch and dragged himself to the door. His plan to distract himself had worked too well, and he didn't think as he walked over and twisted the knob, opening the door. The sunlight hit Marik's face with a blinding glare, causing him to realise his mistake. Ishizu and Rishid were still at work, not to mention they had keys to the house. It couldn't possibly be Ryou either, as he had never left school early to visit Marik. Marik's heart pounded in fear as the door swung open slowly, unable to react as the events played out before him. A pair of sharp eyes appeared in front of him, staring deeply into Marik's own, followed by fluffy white hair and a familiar scowl.

"B-Bakura?"


End file.
